A Convergence of Storms
by Beledi1113
Summary: A post 6x23 fic previously titled Hours Lost Forever. What happens when Castle shows back up after the car crash and thinks the crash happened after the wedding and Kate was in the car with him. 3XK or Bracken are not involved. This deals with Castle's time shadowing the CIA. I combined the 2nd part with this one because I thought it might be easier to keep track of.
1. Chapter 1

**A Convergence of Storms – Part 1**

Summary – A post 6x23 fic previously titled Hours Lost Forever. What happens when Castle shows back up after the car crash and thinks the crash happened after the wedding and Kate was in the car with him. Will be 3 parts (maybe more) and 3XK or Bracken are _**not**_ involved.

Author's Notes – There are a lot of good post 6x23 fics out there with 3XK and Bracken, but this strange plot bunny popped into my head and I just had to write it. This is a different take on S6 finale and the new mythology that is being introduced in Season 7. This is definitely AU and deals with Castle's time shadowing the CIA, so, yep, it's made up – just my vivid imagination at play (now that it's back since I quit taking Singular for my sinuses). I'm exploring some TV tropes since those have been in the forums a lot lately. I'm also just guessing where Castle's house is in the Hamptons. And wow, Castle now has another leader – I'll be interested to see where it goes from here.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – ABC and Disney do. Just playing with the characters.

# # # # # # # # # #

**Chapter 1 – Found**

Beckett lay awake, staring out the window at the stars, alone in bed when she should have been married by now and on her honeymoon. She kept wondering how yesterday could have gone so wrong after all they had been through, when their fairy tale ending was in sight.

The initial panic resulting from the call about the wreck had subsided when she heard that the car was empty – the fire fighters confirmed it when they had finally been able to approach the car.

Now it was replaced by gnawing worry over what had happened to Castle. Chief Brady had his officers looking all afternoon and into the night, but there had been no sign of her missing fiancée.

So now the questions were where was he and what had happened to him?

Because of Sarah Grace, Ryan and Jenny had gone back to NYC that evening with the rest of the guests, but Lanie and Espo were staying at the house in case they were needed.

The ringing of the phone startled her and she quickly picked it up.

"Beckett," she answered hoarsely, her throat raw from all the crying she had done.

"Detective Beckett, this is Chief Brady. I wanted to let you know that we found Mr. Castle. He's being transported to the Southampton hospital."

"Thank you – we'll be right there," Beckett said, springing out of bed.

"Martha! Alexis! Lanie! Espo!" she yelled as she pulled on whatever clothes she could find and raced to the living room. "They found him!"

"Thank god," said Martha as she and Alexis rushed down stairs.

"Chief Brady said they're taking him to the hospital now," Kate said.

Her blue eyes also rimmed in red, a tentative smile on her face, Alexis nodded as she hugged her grandmother.

"I'll drive," said Espo, coming downstairs with Lanie.

# # # # # # # #

At the hospital, Espo simply pulled up to the emergency room entrance and parked, his years of being a police officer working on automatic pilot.

Chief Brady was waiting for them at the desk and was immediately bombarded by questions.

"Where's Castle?" "Where's my son?" "Where's my dad?" "How is he?"

Brady held up his hands to try to stem the tide. "They're examining him right now and Dr. Freas will be out in a moment to give you an update."

"Thanks," said Beckett, nodding. "Where did you find him?"

"That's the strange thing – the police didn't find him. It was the fire department," Brady explained. "A fire alarm was called in about 3 am for a house under renovation on Hedgebank Drive. A fireman noticed him on the beach and went over to ask if he had seen anything. That's when he realized it was Mr. Castle, so they called it in."

Beckett nodded, slightly puzzled. Hedgebank Drive – that was nowhere near where the wreck had happened, where Castle should have been. How had he gotten there? Had he walked that far without being noticed by anyone?

His doctor's next question, softly asked so that it could only be heard by the group, rocked her. "Detective Beckett, is it possible that Mr. Castle was into something illegal? Ah - when the fire fighters made a sweep of the house after the fire was out, they found several men inside along with illegal automatic weapons. They had been killed before the fire started because it looked like they didn't try to escape. CSU and the arson investigator are on the scene now."

Beckett shook her head. "No, no – he wasn't," she said emphatically.

"Okay," said Brady, nodding hesitantly.

"Dr. Parish and I'd like to go to the scene, if that's okay with you," said Espo. "Take a look around."

"Sure, sure," said Brady. "This doesn't happen – hasn't happened in the Hamptons before, so I'd appreciate any help."

Espo looked at Kate. "We've got this," he said before they walked away with the chief.

Martha, Alexis, and Kate looked over to the doors as they opened, and a doctor came out.

"Family of Richard Castle," he said.

Martha waved her hand. "That's us."

He walked up to them. "I'm Dr. Freas. I'll be taking care of Mr. Castle while he's here. And you would be?"

"His mother, Martha Rogers," Martha said. "This is Alexis Castle, his daughter; Kate Beckett, his wi – fiancée."

The doctor frowned when she said that and then looked at Beckett thoughtfully. "Why don't we go in the conference room?" he said, opening the door to the room. "It's a little more private."

The three women looked at each other apprehensively and then walked inside.

The doctor closed the door and then turned to Martha. "Do I have permission to discuss his condition in front of Ms. Beckett?"

"Oh, for heaven's sake," said Martha. "If this silly accident hadn't happened, they would be married by now."

The doctor nodded and began. "Mr. Castle arrived at the ER approximately 40 minutes ago. He was fairly coherent and able to give the police his name and your name," he said, nodding at Martha. "He started to give a statement about what had happened to him, but became very agitated during it so the police decided to wait until later."

He paused for a moment. "I understand he was in a car wreck yesterday afternoon but he's been missing for more than 12 hours. His injuries are consistent with a wreck, mostly bruises and lacerations, but there are some other odd marks that we haven't been able to identify yet. He does have some 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his hands, but they should be fine with treatment," he quickly reassured them. "He does have a large bump on the back of his head. We're running a CT scan now to check for any brain injury."

The doctor paused for a moment. "Our main concern is his mental state. As I said, Mr. Castle was very agitated when he was brought in. He kept saying that he was sorry – that he couldn't do anything – so we've given him something to calm him down."

Beckett nodded, a brief weak smile flashing on her face. Of course Castle would take the blame for the wedding not happening, even if it wasn't his fault.

"Ms. Beckett," said the doctor, looking directly at her. "According to the statement he gave the police, Mr. Castle believes that the wedding did take place and the wreck happened after that." He took a deep breath. "And that you died in the wreck because he couldn't get you out of the car when it was burning."

# # # # # # # # #


	2. Chapter 2 Right Here In Front Of You

**A Convergence of Storms – Part 1**

Summary – A post 6x23 fic previously titled Hours Lost Forever. What happens when Castle shows back up after the car crash and thinks the crash happened after the wedding and Kate was in the car with him. Will be 3 parts (maybe more) and 3XK or Bracken are _**not**_ involved.

Author's Notes – Sorry, just couldn't resist the angst in this chapter. What's a summer without angst when we're all anxiously waiting to see what will happen in s7 especially with the changes in the show. And I'm borrowing lines from previous episodes and using them in a different manner.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – ABC and Disney do.

**Chapter 2 – Right in Front of You**

# # # # # # # # # #

_Previously – "Ms. Beckett," said the doctor, looking directly at her. "According to the statement he gave the police, Mr. Castle believes that the wedding did take place and the wreck happened after that." He took a deep breath. "And that you died in the wreck because he couldn't get you out of the car when it was burning."_

# # # # # # # # # #

"No!" exclaimed Martha, shocked, covering her mouth with her hand. She was sure that Kate felt the same way as she watched the color drain out of the woman's face.

Beckett sat down in a chair and shook her head in disbelief. "No, no – that's not possible. We didn't get married – the wreck happened before that. We were waiting for him."

The doctor nodded grimly. "That may be, but this is the reality as Mr. Castle perceives it," he stressed.

There was a knock on the door and a nurse poked her head in. "Dr. Freas, Mr. Castle is back in his room now and he's asking if his mother and daughter are here yet."

"Thanks – we'll be there momentarily." The doctor turned back to the women. "Ms. Rogers, it may be best if you see him first, and then you two can go in after a few minutes after Ms. Rogers has talked to him."

Martha nodded and put a supportive hand on Beckett's shoulder. "Kate, dear, I'm sure he's just confused. Everything will be okay once he sees you," she said, smiling slightly at her.

Beckett nodded, holding back tears, and then stood.

The doctor walked them down the corridor and stopped at one of the rooms. "Do you want me to go in with you?" he asked.

Martha shook her head. "No, we'll be fine." She looked at Kate and Alexis and quickly squeezed their hands. "I'll call you in in a minute."

# # # # # # # # # #

The moment Martha walked into the room, she knew how serious this was by the way Castle looked.

He lay on the bed, an arm flung over his eyes, his face red from crying, his breathing ragged, hands bandaged.

"Oh, Richard, darling," Martha said as she walked over to him.

Castle let out a sob at her voice. "Mom," his voice quavered as he held out his arms to her like he had done as a little boy when he had had a bad dream and needed his mother to comfort him.

"Shhh, there now, kiddo, everything is going to be okay," Martha soothed as she held her weeping son.

"No, no – it isn't," Castle said brokenly. "Kate was there – I couldn't get to her – and – oh, god, mother – the fire –" he sobbed.

"No, darling, Kate is right outside – she's _**fine**_ – she wasn't with you," Martha said reassuringly.

The writer started to shake his head and then winced at the pain. "No, mom, she's not," he stated fervently between sobs. "She's not."

Martha glanced over at the door and waved to Alexis and Kate. "No, dear, see – she's here now, with Alexis," Martha said as the two woman walked into the room, along with the doctor.

Castle managed a tentative smile before breaking down again. "Pumpkin, I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I couldn't save her."

"No, Dad," Alexis said, her brow furrowing in concern as she held his hand and looked at Beckett. "Kate's right here – with me."

"Mr. Castle," said the doctor, keeping his voice neutral, "how many people do you see in the room?"

Castle wiped his eyes and stared at the man, and then swallowed thickly before answering. "Three," he said hoarsely and then lay back on the bed, closing his eyes wearily. "My mother, my daughter, and you."

The doctor carefully schooled his face before motioning the women towards the door. "This is very unusual but it may be caused by the concussion that Mr. Castle sustained in the wreck," he said quietly. "We'll watch him to see if there is any improvement. And then we'll go from there."

Tears in their eyes, Martha, Alexis, and Beckett nodded and then moved back to Castle's bedside to try to comfort the grief-stricken man.

# # # # # # # #

Along with Beckett, Martha and Alexis took turns sitting with Castle as he dozed off and on throughout the day, waking in fitful starts from nightmares of a fire he couldn't escape, often causing the heart monitor to beep in alarm as his pulse raced and his blood pressure soared.

The doctor encouraged them to talk with him when he was awake, but he only responded to Martha and Alexis, much to Beckett's dismay when he stared right through her and didn't acknowledge her presence.

The staff psychiatrist came by several times, asking him the same questions over and over, until Castle was so frustrated that he cursed and threw a pitcher of water and ice at the man and told him not to come back unless he had something else to say, something new to ask.

At that point, the orders were placed for 2 neurologists from New York to consult on the case because frankly they were stymied. The concussion was minor and shouldn't have resulted in Castle's condition.

The nurses came in every few hours to check on Castle, encouraging him to move from the bed to a chair and then back to the bed after he had sat up for a while.

Except for Martha and Alexis, Castle refused to have any other visitors, saying that he couldn't face them right now.

Martha tried to interest him in eating, but to no avail as he just shook his head at the offered food, saying it just tasted like dry ash in his mouth.

Towards sunset, Castle was sitting in the chair in front of the window, closing his eyes against the evening light. Martha placed a hand on his shoulder as she stood beside him and he covered it with one of his own.

"When I close my eyes, I can still see her, mom – I can still hear her," he whispered, a tear running down his face.

Beckett knelt in front of him, resting a hand against his cheek. "That's because I am in front of you, babe, just waiting for you to just open your eyes and see that I'm right here," she said, fighting back her own tears as she touched her forehead to his.

# # # # # # # #

That night, Beckett finally convinced Martha and Alexis to go back to the house to rest. Even though Castle didn't acknowledge her, she could at least press the button for the nurses in case he needed anything.

Snuggled in a blanket, she was dosing in the recliner when she was awoken by a light knock on the door.

Beckett glanced over at Castle and saw that he was finally sleeping and then looked at the clock on the wall and frowned. It was close to midnight.

The nurse had made her last rounds at 10:30 and then wished Beckett a good evening, telling her to call them if they needed anything, so she wasn't expecting anyone else this late.

"Come in," she said quietly, sitting up and running a hand through her hair.

Two men – a tall thin older African American with graying hair and thick glasses, and a smaller balding Caucasian with a rotund belly – walked into the room. They both wore white doctor's coats, stethoscopes hanging around their necks and the tall one pushing a wheelchair.

"Detective Beckett," said one of the men offering her his hand. "I'm Dr. Black and this is Dr. White. We're here to consult on Mr. Castle's case."

Beckett smiled at them slightly, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I thought you weren't going to be here until tomorrow morning."

"We were in the area already," said Dr. White. "Can you tell us about what happened?" he asked as Dr. Black moved to examine Castle.

"Mr. Castle," the man said, gently shaking the writer. "I need you to wake up, sir."

"Huh, what?" Castle said sleepily, bringing his bandaged hand up to rub his red-rimmed eyes.

Beckett watched him for a moment with a heavy heart and then looked at Dr. White.

"We were supposed to get married yesterday, but Rick was in a wreck on his way to the wedding." She crossed her arms, fighting back tears. "And now he thinks I died in the crash and it was his fault. He…uh…can't see me, hear me. And the doctors don't know why."

Dr. White nodded. "Car crash," he reiterated to Dr. Black who hummed in response as he shown a light into Castle's eyes.

He turned back to Beckett. "We're going to run some tests on Mr. Castle. It shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. Feel free to join us if you'd like."

"Yes, of course," Beckett nodded.

"Mr. Castle," Dr. Black said, "we're going to run some tests. Sir, we need you to get into this wheelchair."

"Uh, okay," Castle replied sleepily as they helped him sit up and move to the wheelchair. "Did you call my mother? Is she here?"

"No, she's not," said Dr. White as he wheeled Castle out of the room and down several hallways to an unpopulated wing of the hospital. "She's gone for the day. She'll be back in the morning and you should be feeling much better by then."

"Ah, here we are," said Dr. Black as he opened the door to a room that contained several pieces of equipment strategically placed around a padded chair. "Here – let's get you comfortable," he said as they helped Castle out of the wheelchair and into the chair.

"There's a chair for you, Detective," said Dr. White, pointing to a chair in the corner. "It will take a few minutes to prep Mr. Castle."

Beckett sat down and frowned as she watched them strap Castle into the chair and place electrodes on his scalp, face, chest, arms, and legs.

After they had finished, Dr. Black moved to the monitor while Dr. White gently shook Castle's shoulder to wake him up.

"Mr. Castle, sir, we need you to wake up. We have several questions to ask you."

Castle frowned at the electrodes stuck to him and squinted his eyes at the man. "'kay."

"First, I need you to keep your head still and use just your eyes to look to the left." He nodded as Castle followed his instructions. "Good. Now to the right…and then up…and down. Now move your right hand…and then your left hand." He looked at Dr. Black. "And we're ready to begin."

He looked back at Castle. "Mr. Castle, tell me about the morning before the accident – what did you do that morning."

"Already told the police," Castle slurred sullenly, his head lolling back against the headrest.

"We just want to make sure they didn't miss anything," Dr. White said softly.

Castle grimaced and squeezed his eyes shut. "Beckett…was married before and we had to go to Willow Creek to find her husband and get him to sign divorce papers before we could get our marriage license."

Dr. Black nodded. "That's correct," he said, watching the monitor.

"Please continue," said Dr. White encouragingly.

"After we got the papers signed, Kate…went to the Hamptons to get ready and I went to the judge's office in New York to file the divorce papers and get our marriage license…"

"That's correct," said Dr. Black.

"We got married at the house and left after the reception. We decided to take the Mercedes rather than taking the Rolls," Castle said flatly. "A dog ran across the road and I swerved to miss it, but I had had a couple of drinks and couldn't control the spin and we went into a gully."

Beckett wrapped her arms around herself as she listened to the terrible story that Castle was telling.

Castle shuddered at the memory, tears running down his face. "The air bags deployed and Kate…must have hit her head…she was unconscious. The doors were jammed but I undid my seat belt and managed to climb out the window. But the door on Kate's side was crushed in and I couldn't open it. I tried to get back in the driver's side, but the gas tank had ruptured and the car was on fire…I couldn't get to her – I couldn't get her out…the dress caught fire…and she burned…" Castle sobbed, dropping his head to his chest.

"Hmmm," said Dr. Black, looking at Dr. White with a quirked eyebrow.

Dr. White put a hand on Castle's shoulder. "Mr. Castle, thank you. Now we're going to give you something that will make you a little sleepy."

He took a syringe off the table and inserted it into the IV port in Castle's arm. "Count back from 100 for me."

Castle blinked weary eyes at the man and started but only got to 98 as his head lolled back, his eyes closed, and his body relaxed.

Beckett studied the men as they studied the monitor for a few moments, talking quietly.

"You're not the doctors that Dr. Freas called in as consultants, are you?" she finally asked, interrupting them.

"No, we're not," replied Dr. Black. "But we're the ones who can fix this."

Dr. White picked up another syringe and inserted it into the port. "Now let's see what really happened."

# # # # # # # #


	3. Chapter 3 Walk a Mile in His Shoes

**A Convergence of Storms – Part 1**

Summary – A post 6x23 fic previously titled Hours Lost Forever. What happens when Castle shows back up after the car crash and thinks the crash happened after the wedding and Kate was in the car with him. Will be 3 parts (maybe more) and 3XK or Bracken are _**not**_ involved. This looks at some new "old" mythology.

Author's Notes – Thanks for all the favs, follows, and reviews. You guys are awesome.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – ABC, and Disney do.

**Chapter 3 – Walk a Mile in His Shoes**

# # # # # # # # # #

Several intense hours later, Beckett stood out in the hallway, shivering, leaning her head against the wall as she willed herself not to break down and fall to the floor sobbing.

Drs. Black and White were finally able to bring the memory of what had happened to Castle those long hours that he had been missing to the surface and Beckett was still reeling from the experience.

# # # # # # # # # #

The abduction happened just after they had talked on the phone. He was checking his hair in the rear-view mirror and saw a black Escalade behind him. He had tried to outrun it, but the car kept up with him, finally flanking him.

Then an AK-7 appeared out of the passenger window and bullets strafed the front of his car, causing him to slam on the brakes, the car skidding wildly.

"Of all the freakin' days for this to happen," Castle thought as he brought the car under control and tried to make a 180 turn to race back the way he had just come (thanks to the police driving course he had taken), away from whoever was in the Esplanade, but the engine sputtered and died.

He reached for his phone and quickly pressed 911, only to find that he had no reception.

Castle shrank down in the seat as another round of bullets was fired over the roof of the car.

He saw a house in the distance. If he could make it there…

He quickly made up his mind as the doors of the Esplanade opened and four men dressed in black with ski masks covering their faces got out and headed toward him.

This did not look good…

He pushed open the door of his car and started to run, only to fall to the ground as he felt a jolt of electricity go through his body. "Oh, crap," was his last coherent thought.

The next few hours were a blur of questions and pain – questions about numbers that he didn't understand and his own about how many electrical shocks the human body could withstand before it simply gave up and if his man parts would still work if he survived this.

But he had done enough research to know that these men were experts in their field, and as much as it hurt, there wasn't any permanent damage, except maybe when they put a bullet in his brain when they didn't get their answers.

And he would be damned if he gave them any, whatever it was they wanted, so he clamped down until he couldn't stand it and then the screams ripped out of his throat.

He thought they were finally finished with him when they unlocked the cuffs that chained him to the beam in the ceiling and he dropped to the floor in a boneless heap, only to be dragged out of the room and taken into what looked like a garage and dumped onto the floor.

"No one tells Gaston 'no'," said one of the men, pulling Castle's head up by the hair to get his attention.

"Gaston?" thought Castle's muddled brain. "The oaf from 'Beauty and the Beast'? That's not a name that strikes fear into the hearts of men. Volkov, Mack the Knife, Don Vito Corleone, Darth Vader – now those are villain names. But he was ruggedly handsome…" Castle squeezed his eyes shut – no, brain, don't go there.

The man jerked Castle's head so that he could see a car – his Mercedes – how did it get here?

Another man picked up a gas can and uncapped it, pouring the contents into the open passenger window.

As the fumes spread, Castle weakly raised his arm to cover his nose.

"This is a lesson, Mr. Castle. Think about your next response very carefully," the first man said as he flicked on a lighter and threw it into the car.

Castle stared as the flames grew and then his eyes widened in horror – there was someone inside the car slumped in the passenger seat – someone in white – Kate! They had gotten to her somehow.

He pushed himself up and scrambled towards the car, trying to open the passenger door, but the flames were too high and drove him back.

He stumbled back, sobbing, collapsing to his knees as he watched the fire consume the car, destroying his world, his life.

The man walked over to the window of the car and fired two shots into the flames and then walked back to Castle and knelt in front of him, putting his gun on the ground.

"See, we can be compassionate – it can be over quickly. Just tell us what we want to know, Mr. Castle."

Castle stared at the car, tears running down his face, and then looked back at the man and tried to spit at him, but his throat was too dry.

The man let out an exasperated sigh as he stood. "Get the girl," he said to another man standing in the garage.

Alexis! No! Castle's mind screamed. He couldn't protect Kate, but he'd be damned if he let them take Alexis – they wouldn't need to do that if he were dead.

He scrambled for the gun that man had left lying in front of him and brought it up and fired at the men.

In a haze, he ran for the door, waiting for the bullets to rip through his body or head and end his life, but they never came.

# # # # # # # #

Beckett straightened when the door to the room opened and wiped the tears off her face as she turned to face Dr. White. "Why?" was all she could whisper.

The man paused for a moment before answering. "When Mr. Castle was shadowing the agency, he was accidentally given some reports to read that hadn't been redacted. Those men wanted that information."

"But that was almost 15 years ago," Beckett protested.

"They seemed to think he would still remember them. And given his ability to remember minute details, they might have been correct," the man replied.

"Now what?" Beckett asked, her brow furrowing. "Are they still out there? Will they come after him again?"

"We're not sure. Mr. Castle said there were 4 men in the SUV, and 4 men were found at the house. They didn't have phones on them and no phones or computers were located in the SUV, so we think that threat has been neutralized. We can place a protective detail on Mr. Castle for a while – make sure that no one is interested in him." He paused for a moment again.

"But that's not our biggest concern, Detective Beckett," he said, looking at her. "That information still resides in Mr. Castle's head and the idea that he could recall it makes certain people…extremely nervous. So we have a couple of options, none of them ideal of course, so we'll just have to pick the best worst option."

He took a deep breath before starting, the look on his face grim. "One option is to take away Mr. Castle's memory for the last 15 years – wipe it clean, so to speak—"

"No!" exclaimed Beckett in alarm.

"Obviously that idea was vetoed rather quickly," Dr. White shook his head. "Which leaves us with 2 other options and which one we choose depends entirely upon you. We can try to erase the memory of just this event, but that may have unpredictable results. Memory is a tricky thing. We may not erase enough, we may erase too much.

"Or the less invasive option is to leave the memory of the wreck and bury the rest of it, making it more of a nightmare not quite remembered, but that would require that someone steer him away from remembering the event. We both know that if Mr. Castle truly knew what had happened, he wouldn't let it go. He would need to know that his family and friends are safe, and things could go badly for him."

Dr. White studied her. "You worked for the AG office – you know how these things work and there are people who would be embarrassed by what happened if any of it went public."

Beckett's eyes flared in anger. "What gives them the right to have any say in this? After what happened to Rick? What about him – his rights?"

Dr. White looked at her sympathetically. "The power they have and, of course, the piece of paper he signed before he was allowed to shadow the agency. Only his death can revoke it, which is not an option..at this point. Any transgressions are taken quite very seriously."

"Transgressions?" huffed Beckett. "He didn't transgress – if anything, he was transgressed upon."

"Unfortunately, that is a moot point. But I need your decision now," he said looking at his watch, showing impatience for the first time. "We're running up on a deadline."

Beckett ran a shaky hand through her hair, staring off to the side. "Make it a dream," she said finally.

"Are you sure you can do your part, even if it means lying to him?" Dr. White asked.

Beckett nodded firmly. Castle had done it for her to keep her safe; she could do nothing less for him. "Yes," she said, glaring at the man. "I will do anything it takes to keep my fiancé safe."

"Good," he said, nodding back at her. "Then we'll get started. It won't take too long. Why don't you go get some coffee? When we finish, we'll bring him back to the room."

"All right," Beckett said, now subdued.

She watched the man walk back into the room and started down the hall, only to stop when she saw Lanie by the exit door, holding a cup of coffee.

The ME frowned at her. "You weren't in the room and the nurses didn't know where you were," she said as she held out the to-go cup. "I thought you could use some coffee."

"Yeah, the doctors wanted to run some tests on Castle," said Beckett as she bit her lip and then took the cup.

"Kate, what's this all about?" Lanie whispered, concern evident in her voice.

"How much did you hear?" Beckett asked after a minute.

"Enough to know that something else is going on."

"The wreck – it was staged," Beckett said quietly. "Someone wants something that Castle knows. They took him for that. These 2 doctors – they're here to help him."

"And these men, you believe them?"

Beckett thought a moment and then nodded. "I do."

"And you have to keep him from remembering what happened?" Lanie asked.

"Yeah," Beckett said, taking a breath, frowning.

"Kate, I hate to bring up the past, but you've lied to him before and that almost ended your relationship," Lanie pointed out.

Beckett looked at her with tears in her eyes. "Lanie, I have to – the only way to protect him is to make sure he doesn't remember what happened. If I tell him, he'll keep digging until he solves the mystery and who knows what they'll do then. I can't let that happen." She looked at her best friend, pleading. "And you can't tell him either, Lanie – you can't tell anyone."

Lanie looked at her friend in sympathy. "Kate, sweetie, how long can you keep this up?"

"As long as I need to," said Beckett with steely determination. "He'll listen to me. I can steer him away. I can make things right." She looked at the ME. "Lanie, I'm not gonna lose him again."

Lanie nodded. "Okay, then I'm right there with you."

"Thanks," Kate breathed, a slight smile on her face for the first time since the wreck happened.

Lanie put her arms around Kate in a tight hug and then pulled back slightly and wrinkled her nose. "Honey, I hate to be the one to say it right now, but you really could use a shower…I've had a few dead bodies that smelled better than you."

Beckett laughed slightly. She was still wearing the sweats she had put on after taking off her wedding dress and her hair did smell a little like smoke. "Yeah, you're definitely right," she said, glancing back down the hallway and then walking off with Lanie.

# # # # # # # #

Beckett quickly showered and changed into the clothes that Lanie had brought with her, and was toweling her hair dry when the door opened and Drs. Black and White wheeled Castle back into his room and moved him into his bed.

The writer was asleep, but looked more relaxed, more like himself than he had since this ordeal began.

"Detective Beckett, I don't need to remind you what's at stake here," stated Dr. Black.

"I understand," Beckett said quietly.

"Then, let's see how effective we were," said Dr. White. He turned to Castle and tapped him lightly on the cheek several times. "Mr. Castle – Richard, it's time to wake up. Rise and shine."

Castle stirred, blinking his eyes open a couple of times before closing them again.

"That's right," said Dr. Black. "Time to wake up."

Castle grunted slightly and then coughed, raising a hand to his mouth. "Uh – what?"

"Mr. Castle," continued Dr. White, "we need to you to wake up now."

Castle opened his eyes wider, as if fighting through cobwebs, trying to focus on the people in the room. "Uh, what's going on?" he slurred sleepily.

"Almost there," said Dr. Black. "We need you to focus, Mr. Castle."

"I'm focused," Castle responded, blinking several more times and then rubbed his eyes with a fist. "Uh, what happened?"

"You were in an accident," said Dr. White. "Your car skidded off the road..." he prompted.

Castle frowned and then bolted upright in the bed, running a hand through his hair. He looked at the two men and then at Kate, and jumped out of bed to go to her. When the IV restrained his progress, he simply pulled the tubing loose from the machine.

"Kate," he breathed as he enveloped her in a tight hug. "I am so sorry – there was something – a dog in the road – and I swerved to miss it and then I think I hit something. I am so glad you weren't in the car with me," he said as he kissed her head.

Beckett closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him, leaning into him, feeling his strong arms around her. "It's okay. I'm just glad you're okay," she said quietly.

"Well, our job here is done," said Dr. Black.

"If you need anything, we're just a phone call away," said Dr. White, looking at Beckett.

Beckett nodded as the men walked out of the room.

"After everything, I can't believe that happened," Castle whispered into her hair. "I am so sorry."

"Shhh," said Beckett. "It doesn't matter – the only thing that matters is that you're okay."

Castle nodded. "We can redo it – the wedding. We'll do it today – it'll just be a day late."

Beckett extracted herself from his hug and took his hands. "Babe, the wreck happened almost 2 days ago."

Castle frowned. "Really?" he said, rubbing a hand over the stubble on his chin.

Beckett nodded. "Yeah. You were…gone for a while."

"Oh," said Castle as he took a breath. "Well, then it will just be a little late. The marriage license is good for 60 days."

Beckett frowned slightly. "About that – the license was in your jacket and your jacket was in the car. The car caught on fire when you hit a culvert, but you managed to get out. Babe, the car is gone."

"The Mercedes?" Castle asked, slightly perplexed. He hugged Beckett again, resting his chin on top of her hair. "At least it wasn't the Ferrari."

Beckett laughed slightly.

"So what do you want to do?" Castle asked after a few minutes, relaxing the hug and looking at her. "We should be on our honeymoon now."

Beckett took a breath and looked up at him. "Let's go – we can change the tickets and leave tonight."

_Let me take you someplace, Castle. Someplace you'll be safe. _

"You sure?" Castle asked, frowning slightly at her.

Beckett nodded. "Yeah, I have the time off and you know how hard that was to do. No sense in wasting a good honeymoon just because the wedding didn't happen."

Castle nodded and smiled at her. "Okay. But first, I think I have to get out of here."

"I'm sure we can arrange that," Beckett smiled.

"And I probably should shower and change," Castle said, pulling slightly at the neck of the hospital gown. He really did feel a little overripe.

"I think we can arrange that too," said Beckett as she stepped closer and kissed him.

# # # # # # # #

Dr. Freas was making his rounds when Martha and Alexis arrived at the hospital early that morning and caught up with him at the nurses' station.

"Ms. Rogers, I wish I had better news, but the 2 neurologists have been delayed," the man said. "They won't be here until this afternoon. However, I'd like to make another suggestion. We're just not equipped to handle Mr. Castle's case, so I think it would be better to transfer him to a hospital in New York."

Martha nodded, trying to smile. "Of course, doctor – whatever you think is best." She looked down the hallway to the room her son was in and then looked back at Alexis. "I'll just go check on your father and then call you in."

"Grams," said Alexis, "I'm not a little girl. I can handle it."

Martha gave her granddaughter a fierce hug. "But you shouldn't have to – save it for me when I have to go to a retirement home." She kissed her forehead and then walked to the room, quietly opening the door.

Martha frowned at the empty bed and started to call out when the sounds from the shower hit her ears. Those two had yet to learn the ways of stealth when it came to certain matters.

She closed the door silently and walked back to where Alexis stood.

"So how's Dad?" Alexis asked anxiously.

"Oh, he's up," said Martha with a straight face. "You know, I don't think I had enough coffee this morning and I hear the cafeteria makes a mean cup," she continued as she took Alexis' arm and led her away from the room.

# # # # # # # # # # #


	4. Chapter 4 The Lull Before the Storm

**A Convergence of Storms – Part 1**

Summary – A post 6x23 fic previously titled Hours Lost Forever. What happens when Castle shows back up after the car crash and thinks the crash happened after the wedding and Kate was in the car with him. Will be 3 parts (maybe more) and 3XK or Bracken are _**not**_ involved. This looks at some new "old" mythology based on Castle's time shadowing the CIA.

Author's Notes – Thanks for all the favs, follows, and reviews. You guys are awesome. 88 days and counting…I'm going to try to update once a week.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do.

**Chapter 4 – The Lull before the Storm**

Dr. Freas looked at the chart and then back at Castle. "I have no explanation," he said finally, shaking his head. "Except for the slight headache, all of your test results are normal now, Mr. Castle."

Shifting his hat almost nervously in his hands, Chief Brady frowned at the writer. "But you still can't remember the time between the wreck and when you were found on the beach?" he asked.

Castle ran a hand through his hair and then looked at Beckett and back at the chief. "No. I've tried, but all I can remember is something dark beside the car when I was driving – it must have been a dog," he said, frowning. "And then a bang and then I woke up here this morning."

"Okay," nodded Brady, frowning slightly. That was another loose end he couldn't tie up and the town officials didn't like loose ends.

Freas thought for a moment before he spoke. "It may be a case of transient global amnesia brought on by the concussion you suffered in the wreck and the accidental dip you took in the ocean before you were found. If that's the case, there's a good chance you won't recover those memories." He glanced back at the chart. "However, seeing that your memory seems to be working correctly now, I can't recommend keeping you here any longer."

"Then I'm free to go?" Castle asked expectantly, smiling slightly.

The doctor shrugged. "I don't see why not. I can give you the names of some neurologists in New York if you start having problems. I'll have the nurse start the paperwork now."

Alexis gave a slight squeal as she hugged her father. "I'll go tell Grams. I think she was scoping out one of the doctors in the lounge."

"Thanks, Pumpkin," he said and then pulled Beckett into a hug as Alexis and the others walked out of the room. "I'll call my – our travel agent – and have her change the tickets. In no time at all, not yet Mrs. Castle, we'll be on our non-honeymoon."

Beckett snuggled into Castle's chest and smiled slightly but didn't meet his gaze. "Just as long as it's someplace with you, babe."

# # # # # # # # # # #

Much to Castle's dismay, the house in the Hamptons looked perfectly normal – not at all like he imagined it would have looked for his and Kate's wedding, awash in all the accoutrements of what should have been a joyous occasion.

As quickly as they had moved the wedding there, Martha and Alexis had removed all reminders of it with Kate's blessing once Castle had been found.

He let out a sigh of disappointment as they walked through the front door and Kate quickly squeezed his hand.

"I'm so sorry for ruining the wedding," Castle said quietly, returning the squeeze.

"It's okay, babe," she said reassuringly as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm not marrying you to have a wedding; I'm marrying you to marry you."

Castle smiled at her tentatively. "I promise to make it up to you anyway."

"I've called the car service," said Martha as she walked out of the kitchen. "They should be here in about an hour. That should give you two love birds enough time to get the airport for your flight. Alexis and I will ride back with Detective Esposito and Lanie."

"Thanks, Martha," Kate said, giving the older woman a quick hug. She turned back to Castle. "I'll go pack our stuff."

Castle nodded as he reluctantly let go of Beckett's hand and she walked upstairs. He smiled gently at the recently acquired bond of familiarity between his mother and soon-to-be wife. "Mother, I didn't get a chance to properly thank you and Alexis for everything that you did."

Martha walked over to him and gave him a tight hug. "Kiddo, it just wasn't meant to be this time, but it will be when the time is right." She patted him lightly on the chest. "All that matters is that you're okay. Things can be replaced – you can't."

They were interrupted as her phone rang. "That would be Hilly wanting to know when she can come clean." Martha gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then moved off to answer the phone.

Castle frowned slightly and then walked to the back door, pausing a moment before opening it and walking outside down the steps and onto the lawn. The grass was only slightly ruffled where the chairs had been place with such care and then hastily removed.

He walked close to the edge, and then looked back at the house and closed his eyes, imagining the ceremony. Because of the previously married snafu, they didn't have time for a rehearsal, but when had he and Kate ever rehearsed anything…

He would have been waiting for Kate here, under the canopy, slightly anxious, probably sweating a little by his own admission, Alexis by his side, telling him to breathe.

There would have been a light breeze blowing off the ocean, the clouds in the blue sky gently flitting by.

The string quartet would have played softly as Ryan walked his mother down the aisle and she would have beamed brilliantly at him as she took her seat.

Lanie would have walked out, making subtle eye contact with Javi as she went, the green gown gracefully hugging her curves in all the right places.

Then the music would pause for a moment and the guests would stand to their feet as the chords began to swell, and he would have looked at the doors, his pulse racing as they slowly opened…

"It's not your fault," whispered the soothing voice in his ear as Beckett wrapped her arms around him from behind.

Castle thumbed an errant tear from his eye and shifted so that they were hugging each other. "It just that I thought we had this, Kate, our fairy tale ending."

Beckett wrinkled her nose. "Not too long ago, a wise man told me that all great love stories have obstacles to overcome – terrible trials that only the worthy can transcend – and that we couldn't give up. That's the deal. If we want the happy ending, we can't give up." She kissed him and then looked at him intently. "And I'm not giving up – we're not giving up."

Castle made a face. "Sounds like he needs to have his head examined."

"Well, I have it on good authority that he recently did and everything was fine," said Beckett and then tugged him towards the house. "We probably won't have time for dinner after we leave for the airport, but there is some Chateaubriand left from the reception."

Castle groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. "And I missed the food…"

# # # # # # # # # # #

Beckett was enjoying the scenery from the back seat of the sedan when Castle suddenly sat up straighter and looked out the window.

"Andre, can you stop around the next corner?" he asked.

"Sure thing, Mr. Castle," the driver said as they slowed to a stop.

"What's going on, babe?" Beckett asked as Castle opened the door.

Castle shook his head. "I just wanted to look…" he said as he got out of the car.

She quickly followed him and stood by the side of the road, looking at the burnt area. The last time she had been here, she was standing in her wedding dress, watching Castle's Mercedes burn.

"I heard a really nasty wreck happened here a couple of days ago," Andre said. "The guy lost control and swerved off the road, and the car went up in flames."

Castle nodded. "Yeah, I heard the same thing," he said as he walked over to the burnt area, staring at it.

What was left of the Mercedes had been towed away rather quickly, leaving only the chard ground and shrubs.

Castle turned and stared at the road and harrumphed. "No skid marks…" he said quietly.

"No," Beckett said quietly. "You must not have had time to hit the brakes. Espo and Ryan are handling the investigation. Are you good with that?"

"Yeah," said Castle. He paused for a moment and then bent down to pick something up from the side of the road.

"What's that?" Beckett asked.

"A Mercedes hood ornament," said Castle, turning it over in his hands. He examined it closely. "This isn't the one from my car though…"

Beckett peered at the ornament and then shrugged. "Well, this is the Hamptons – it might have came off of another car?"

Castle frowned at the ornament before putting it in his pocket. "Yeah, you're probably right," he said before looking at the area again.

Andre cleared his throat discretely. "If you're going to make it to the airport on time, we really need to go."

Castle nodded and then followed Beckett back to the car.

# # # # # # # # # # #

They had gotten to the airport in time to have drinks in the VIP lounge before going to the counter to board the grueling 24 hour plus flight to the Maldives.

"Ladies first," said Castle, gallantly gesturing Kate to front.

Smiling, Beckett pulled out her ticket and handed it to the agent.

"There you go, Ms. Beckett," said the ticket agent. "You're all checked in. Enjoy your flight."

"Thanks," said Beckett, taking the ticket and beaming at Castle as he handed his ticket to the agent.

The agent smiled back at him and scanned the ticket and then paused. She scanned the ticket again and then looked at him without a hint of expression.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Castle, but there seems to be some problem with your paperwork and we can't allow you to board the plane."

"What?" exclaimed Beckett and Castle at the same time.

Castle shook his head. "No, that's wrong – what problem?"

"I'm sorry, sir. It's our policy not to discuss these matters and we'll need to ask you to leave," the agent replied firmly.

Castle gaped at the woman before his eyes flashed and his jaw tensed.

Beckett put a hand on his shoulder as he started to speak. "Babe, it's all right – we'll figure this out."

"Okay," said Castle. "And I'm never flying this airline again," he said to the agent.

# # # # # # # # # # #

"Yeah, Lanie," Beckett said over the phone. "We're back. Things – uh – didn't work out at the airport. No, I don't know what I'm going to do now – maybe take a couple of days off…hey, I'll call you later."

She hung up as Castle walked back into the living room of the loft, a stunned expression on his face.

"Babe, what's wrong?" she asked quickly.

Castle looked back towards his office. "I just talked to my lawyer who talked to a friend at the TSC." He looked at Kate with a lost, puzzled expression on his face. "My name is on the 'no-fly list'."

# # # # # # # # # # #


	5. Chapter 5 Storms Clouds on the Horizon

**A Convergence of Storms – Part 1**

Summary – A post 6x23 fic previously titled Hours Lost Forever. What happens when Castle shows back up after the car crash and thinks the crash happened after the wedding and Kate was in the car with him. Will be 3 parts (maybe more) and 3XK or Bracken are _**not**_ involved. This looks at some new "old" mythology based on Castle's time shadowing the CIA.

Author's Notes – Thanks for all the favs, follows, and reviews. You guys are awesome. "Ladies and gentlemen, the author has turned on the **fasten seat belt sign**. We are now crossing a zone of turbulence. Please return your seats and keep your seat belts fastened. Thank you."

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do.

**Chapter 5 – Storm Clouds on the Horizon**

# # # # # #

After the fiasco at the airport and much discussion, they finally decided to stay in the city, rather than going back to the Hamptons. When Beckett suggested driving somewhere, Castle half-seriously joked that she'd have to be the designated driver, seeing as how the last time he drove didn't turn out so well and they were now down a car.

So they wound up lounging around the loft, getting up late, binge-watching TV from their DVR, and eating delivered food, enjoying the peace and quiet that was not the norm in their hectic lives.

Martha had quickly found a retreat that she could go to and Alexis was staying with a friend so the couple could be alone for a while.

However, Beckett only lasted 2 days before succumbing to the overwhelming urge to check in with Espo and Ryan to see how things were going at the 12th in her absence.

Castle was warming up lunch in the kitchen when she stepped into the bedroom to make the call.

"Hey, Javi, what's going on?" she asked quietly, glancing at the door.

"I win the office pool is what's going on," said Espo. "Wow – this is great reception for someone who is supposed to be in the Maldives," he chided.

Beckett laughed slightly. "You can tell from the caller ID that I'm not in the Maldives."

"So what's up with that, chica – the private island wasn't to your liking?"

Beckett paused. "Uh, we didn't make it. There was some mix-up in the paperwork."

"Uh, huh," responded Espo. "Seems to be a lot of that going around lately."

"We're here in New York—" started Beckett.

"And you thought we'd fall apart without you," retorted Espo. "We're touched, but we're not senile."

"Although if you've got a moment," said Ryan over the phone, "we caught a really interesting case yesterday morning."

"And when haven't our cases been interesting?" Beckett asked.

"Look, we can bring the files by this evening if we don't find anything before then," said Ryan. "That is, if we won't be interrupting something."

"You know, play a little Xbox while you look over the files," added Espo.

Beckett laughed again. "I'm sure Castle can use a play-date about now. See you about 7?"

"Sure," said the boys.

Beckett thumbed off the phone and walked back into the kitchen, pausing for a moment, smiling, as she watched Castle putter around.

"Hey, babe, I was thinking that it might be nice to invite people over tonight, you know, since we're still here…"

Castle looked up from where he was slicing vegetables for the salad and thought for a moment. "People," he hummed thoughtfully, "as in Espo and Ryan?"

Beckett shrugged. "Yeah, why not? The three of you could play Xbox for a while," she suggested.

Castle wiped his hands off on a towel and walked to Beckett. "So you're tired of me already?" he asked, a slight smile crooking on his face as he enveloped her in a hug.

Beckett shook her head. "No – no, that's not what I meant," she retorted quickly until she saw the gleam in his eye and then lightly slapped him on the chest.

He pulled back to look at her, a soft smile on his face. "Kate, I know you're bored. Why don't you call Gates and see if you can go back to work. There's no sense in you wasting your vacation because we're not going anywhere."

Beckett smiled in response and kissed him gently. "Thanks, babe."

"Besides," said Castle, looking smugly superior as he deepened the hug and wiggled his eyebrows, "it takes years of experience and dedication to master the art of lounging around all day doing nothing."

"And you're an expert, huh?" Beckett said as she laughed.

# # # # # # # # # #

They managed to shower and dress by the time the doorbell rang at 7.

"Thanks for coming, guys," said Castle as he opened the door, and Espo and Javi walked into the loft.

"Anything for a game night," said Espo.

"And we talked to Gates," said Ryan. "She's expecting you in the morning. Both of you," he added at Castle's hopeful look, giving him a little fist bump.

They chatted as they ate, pointedly avoided the non-wedding elephant in the room, and then Castle cleared the table as Ryan pulled out the file.

"So what have we got?" Beckett asked.

"Julie Tran – Asian female, 28 years old, the manager of the JavaShoppe on East 48th. She was locking up night before last around 11 pm and a customer found her dead in the store the next morning. The door hadn't been forced and all the money was still in the register. Nothing else was taken."

"Aren't they open 24 hours?" asked Castle, looking over Beckett's shoulder.

"Yeah, but the power went out on that block around 10 pm and wasn't restored until 4 am the next morning," said Espo.

Beckett nodded, laying the pieces of the file out on the kitchen counter. She studied them for a moment and then turned to Castle, who was hovering slightly.

"Maybe it was a disgruntled customer who needed a late-night caffeine fix and couldn't get one," Castle said.

Beckett pursed her lips and turned to him. "Rick, it's okay. Go play. I'll let you know if I find anything."

Castle smiled at her and then turned to Espo and Ryan. "Gentlemen, prepare for the trouncing of your life."

Espo snorted. "Like that could happen," he said as they walked into Castle's study. "So what are we playing for this time?" Beckett heard him say as she turned back to the file.

# # # # # # # # # #

Several hours later, a victorious Espo, a mildly pleased Ryan, and a despondent Castle walked out of his study as Beckett looked up from the file.

"Don't worry about it, bro – it just wasn't your night. Could happen to anyone," Espo said in a slightly conciliatory manner.

"Yeah, but not to me," said Castle, making a face. "I haven't been that off since I started playing," he said morosely.

"Well, I'm sure you'll do better next time," said Ryan in an sympathetic tone.

"But in the meantime, pay up," said Espo.

Castle straightened. "Even in the time of my utter defeat, I am a man of my word. Just let me know when."

Espo chortled slightly and turned to Beckett. "Anything?" he asked.

Beckett looked up from the file. "Is there any footage from cameras in that area that might have been on backup generators?"

Ryan shook his head. "No. But the other store owners had been complaining about brownouts for a couple of days." He looked at his watch. "And I really need to get home to Jenny and Sarah Grace."

Beckett smiled and nodded. "Okay. See you in the morning."

After the boys left, she walked over to Castle and put her arms around him, resting her head against his chest.

"You look like you just lost your favorite puppy," she said.

"And my mojo," responded Castle, not smiling. "I don't know what happened in there – I just couldn't get it together."

"Maybe you're just tense," said Beckett, walking her fingers up Castle's chest. "And I think I know just the thing for that," she said and whispered in his ear, "a nice long hot soothing bubble bath…"

She took his hand and led him into the bathroom, sitting him down on the edge of the tub as she turned on the tap and then poured several capfuls of the bubble bath that they liked into the tub.

As the water poured into the tub, Castle watched the bubbles rising and then looked back at Beckett as she lit a candle by the tub.

Suddenly, he was up, jerking the lighter and the candle away from her, grabbing her wrist and plunging her hand into the water. It took several moments of her yelling his name to finally cut through the haze he was in and he quickly released her hand, staring at the angry red marks on her wrist.

"Sorry," he said quietly, shaking his head and balling his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. "I don't know why I did that – I thought you were going to catch fire." He ran a hand through his hair as he frowned an apology at Kate.

Beckett nodded, holding her bruised wrist with her other hand. "It's okay," she said quietly, not meeting his eyes. "Uh, maybe we should just try it without the candle…"

"Yeah, okay," said Castle, now not in any type of mood.

They quickly undressed and slipped into the tub, Castle leaning against the back, a weary look painting his features, his head resting against the back of the tub, his eyes squeezed closed.

Kate leaned back against him, lost in her own thoughts. This was going to be harder than she thought.

# # # # # # # # # #

Later that night, Beckett lay in bed, watching Castle and listening to his rhythmic breathing. She had finally coaxed him into falling asleep after he had gotten an ice pack for her wrist and she told him numerous times that she was okay.

His face had relaxed slightly, but the tension was still evident in the lines around his eyes.

But he was here and he'd be okay, she would see to it.

Beckett closed her eyes and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

# # # # # # # # # #

Unlike Beckett's state of rest, the nightmare started a couple of hours after Castle had fallen asleep.

He could hear the sounds of the ocean and feel the sea breeze as he waited for Beckett at the altar. The music swelled and the doors opened, framing Beckett in a glowing light. Their eyes locked and they smiled at each other.

Suddenly the glowing light became a fireball that exploded behind her, incinerating everything in its path.

Unable to move, he watched in horror as Beckett's wedding dress ignited in flames as she simply stood there, looking at him, not moving as the flames consumed her.

Castle jerked awake and looked over at Beckett, breathing a sigh of relief as he watched her. He tried to control the hammering of his heart, but knew he wasn't going to get any more sleep that night.

He carefully scooted out of the bed so he wouldn't wake Kate and padded softly into his office.

There, he picked up the rifle he had used earlier in the game with Espo and Ryan and sighted the monitor through the scope, only to have to put it down as his hands started to shake.

It felt too real now, the gunfire, the spurts of blood, the sounds as the bullets sunk into flesh and bone. He had frozen as the game started, only pulling the trigger when prompted by the boys and missing his mark most of the time.

Leaving the lights off, he stared out at the city, and then looked at his reflection in the window and ran a hand through his hair before letting out a ragged breath.

What was happening to him? Was he having a mid-life crisis? But he was Richard Castle and he was marrying the most beautiful woman in the world. And she was still here despite the fact that he had literally wrecked what was supposed to be the happiest day of their life – what was there to have a mid-life crisis about?

# # # # # # # # # #


	6. Chapter 6 A Rumble In the Distance

**A Convergence of Storms – Part 1**

Summary – A post 6x23 fic previously titled Hours Lost Forever. What happens when Castle shows back up after the car crash and thinks the crash happened after the wedding and Kate was in the car with him. Will be 3 parts and 3XK or Bracken are _**not**_ involved. This looks at some new "old" mythology based on Castle's time shadowing the CIA.

Author's Notes – Thanks for all the favs, follows, and reviews. You guys are awesome. Okay, so the things that happen in the next couple of chapters are going to be compressed for time's sake, just like in TV land. Normally they would be spread out over a couple of weeks, but I want to move the story along.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. Just patiently waiting for season 7.

**Chapter 6 – A Rumble in the Distance**

# # # # # # #

"Pay dirt," said Espo as he walked into the bullpen carrying a folder and a plastic bag containing a cell phone. "CSU found this at the coffee shop and Tori was able to pull the texts off. Seems that our vic was texting a supplier at all hours of the night," he said, pulling a picture out of the file and putting it on the murder board. "A Mr. Tai Atsusi, importer of fine coffees."

"Sounds like that wasn't all he was supplying," quipped Castle.

"Let's bring him in for questioning," Beckett said to Ryan and Espo.

They nodded and moved off to their respective desks to pull up his information.

Castle studied the murder board from his chair beside Beckett's desk. "The age-old story of a love affair gone wrong," he commented, speculating on the why of the murder. "Or maybe she found out he was adding something special to his beans and he had to grind her out…"

Beckett tried not to smile as she looked at him and lifted her eyebrow. "I think I'll just wait for the evidence."

"My version's better," Castle sing-songed as he pulled out his new phone to play 2048 while Beckett worked on the reports that were due on Gate's desk by the end of the week.

Suddenly, the usually calm Ryan's explosive "Son of a bitch!" broke the semi-silence of the bullpen as he slammed down the receiver of his desk phone, causing Castle to almost jump out of his chair and drop his phone.

Beckett put a steading hand on his arm as he fumbled his phone. "You okay?" she whispered.

"Yeah," Castle nodded as he gripped the phone with both hands and then looked over at Ryan, along with everyone else in the room.

"Sorry," said Ryan, furrowing his brow as he quickly thought about what to say. "Ah, Jenny and I are looking for a house and that house that I told you about a week ago isn't on the market anymore."

"Wow, you must have really liked that house," said Castle. "You know, I can hook you up with my realtor."

"Thanks," said Ryan, narrowing his eyes at Beckett.

"Uh, Castle, can you get me some coffee?" Beckett asked, picking up her blue cup and holding it out to him.

"Sure." He looked at the group. "Anyone else want some?"

"Nah, we're good," said Espo.

Espo waited until Castle walked into the break room before scooting his chair over to Ryan's desk. "What gives?"

"That was Chief Brady – it's all gone – the evidence from that house in the Hamptons _**and**_ the house," Ryan said quickly, the three of them leaning in for a private conversation. "The house was torn down 4 days ago. There was a mix-up at the demolition company and they went to the wrong address. Then the evidence from the scene was put into the wrong bags and they were incinerated. And the bodies were cremated. There's nothing left of the car, so we can't pull anything from there."

"Damn," swore Espo. "Sounds like somebody's covering something up."

Beckett nodded as she straightened, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, it does." She glanced up as Castle walked back into the room, holding 2 steaming cups of coffee.

"So why don't you use Castle's realtor?" she suggested to Ryan. "Maybe she can research the neighborhoods that you are interested in, you know, see what the neighbors have to say?"

Ryan nodded, smiling slightly. "Thanks, I will."

Castle put the coffee down and pulled out his phone. "Here's her phone number. Just tell her that Rick said 'Hi'."

"Thanks," said Ryan, smiling as he wrote down the number.

Espo turned back to his computer. "Got an address on Atsusi – he's married with wife and 2 kids and a house in the burbs." He looked at Beckett. "Do you want me to send a unit?"

Beckett studied the board. With kids involved, it would be better for an unmarked unit to show up. "No, we'll pick him up. Castle, you up for a drive?"

"With you – always," he said, trying to keep a straight face.

# # # # # # # # #

Beckett keyed the address into her GPS and took off into the mid-morning traffic.

After they pulled onto the expressway, Castle looked at Beckett for a moment before starting. "You know, we haven't discussed what to do about the wedding yet," he said, giving her an opening.

Beckett looked in her rear-view mirror as she drove. "Well, the cleaners said it would take about 2 weeks to clean my dress, so it should be ready sometime this week. But after all the money you just spent—"

"Kate, I would spend 100 times that amount if it meant that I got to spend the rest of my life with you. And _**we**_ spent the money," Castle stressed.

Beckett nodded. "Yes, I know – you've told me repeatedly, what's yours is mine." She paused for a moment and then smiled. "Why don't we do a smaller version of what we had planned in a couple of weeks? The weather should still be nice in the Hamptons."

Castle nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah – I could charter a plane and we could parachute in – probably be a lot safer than driving up there again."

"I think we'll just hire a limo. That way we don't have to worry about blowing into the ocean if the wind changes." Beckett wrinkled her nose. "But if we go smaller, that means we'll have to narrow the guest list."

"Well, we could always cut those people who didn't show up the first time." Castle made a face. "But then you'd be minus the groom."

"Yeah, not going to happen. We'll go over the list tonight when we get home," said Beckett as she pulled off the expressway.

# # # # # # # # #

Beckett surveyed the house as she parked across the street from it.

It was in a good neighborhood, the kind of neighborhood that people liked to raise children in. The lot was not overly large, the house not overly pretentious, but definitely in the pricey range.

The iron work gate by the side was closed and Beckett couldn't see any cars parked behind it.

"Let's go see if anyone's home," she said she got out of her car.

Just then, a black Escalade pulled into the driveway of the house and Castle froze in mid-position, face pale, eyes locked on the car.

Beckett frowned at him in concern. "Babe, you okay?" she asked as she walked to his side of the car.

Castle let out a sigh of relief as the doors opened and Mrs. Atsusi and her 2 children climbed out. "Yeah – that was strange," he said shaking his head.

Beckett nodded at him. "Okay." She turned to cross the street, pulling out her badge as she walked.

"Mrs. Atsusi?" she asked the woman.

"Yes?" replied Mrs. Atsusi.

"I'm Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD, and this is my partner, Richard Castle. We'd like to ask you a few questions about your husband."

"That lying cheating scumbag?" Mrs. Atsusi said. "My lawyer's looking for him too. Let me know when you find him so I can serve him the divorce papers."

"So you haven't seen him?" Beckett asked.

"Not since 5 days ago, when I confronted him about the affair he was having. I threw him out and told him that the only time I'd see him again was in court."

Beckett nodded and pulled out a card. "If you do see him, please call me."

"Sure – unless I shoot him first as an intruder," said Mrs. Atsusi. She looked at Beckett. "Would that be considered justifiable homicide?"

Beckett pressed her lips together and shook her head. "No, Mrs. Atsusi, it wouldn't be."

# # # # # # # # #

That night, the dream started with Castle riding a white horse towards the wedding, but then a black horse with a rider dressed in all black came out of nowhere and cut him off. His horse tried valiantly to outpace the black one, but to no avail. Suddenly the black horse swerved and they both crashed to the ground, flames erupting around them.

He spent the rest of the night on the couch in the living room so that he wouldn't wake Beckett up, but missed her softly opening the bedroom door to check on him as he stared into space.

# # # # # # # # #

Two days later, they finally got a call from a patrolman who spotted Atsusi climbing into a back window of one of his warehouses.

The police quickly surrounded the place as the team arrived.

"Castle, I want you to stay behind us," Beckett said quietly as she put on her vest and then pulled out her service piece.

Castle nodded as he put on his vest. "Sure."

Beckett's team took the lead in the slow, quiet search for their murder suspect.

Espo finally flushed Atsusi out of behind some boxes and the man made a break for the door.

Beckett followed quickly as the man slammed into the door but it wouldn't budge.

He frantically pulled a gun out of the waistband of his pants and pointed it with shaking hands at the approaching detectives.

"Mr. Atsusi, put the gun down," Beckett barked at the man. "You're surrounded – there is no escape."

"I didn't mean for it to happened," the man sobbed. "We were just talking and she fell and hit her head."

"Mr. Atsusi – put down the gun," Beckett said again.

"Okay, okay," said Atsusi, rubbing his eyes with one hand, when it happened. The gun slipped from his hand and he grabbed for it, accidently touching the trigger. The gun went off, the bullet whizzing past Beckett's head.

Castle reacted swiftly and decisively, rushing from behind the line of officers and knocking the man to the ground. The gun skidded away as Castle punched Atsusi in the face several times.

"Castle! Castle!" Beckett yelled as she ran forward to pull the writer off the man before he could do some serious damage. "It's okay – I'm okay," she reassured him.

Castle looked at Beckett and sat down away from the man.

"Stay down and spread your hands," Espo yelled at Atsusi, pointing his gun at the man. He quickly cuffed the man and picked him up off the floor.

Beckett knelt in front of Castle, putting a hand to his face. "You okay?" she asked, looking at his pale, sweating face.

"I thought he'd shot you," Castle replied shakily, gasping for breath.

"I'm fine, babe," said Beckett. "The bullet missed me."

"Okay," said Castle, gulping. "Okay…"

"Think we can get off the floor now?" Beckett asked.

"Yeah," said Castle, running a shaky hand through his hair as he started to stand up and then sank back down, grabbing at his chest and grimacing in pain. "Kate," he said in a wheezing voice as he doubled over. "I think I'm having a heart attack."

# # # # # # # # #

The paramedics arrived quickly and carted Castle off to the hospital. They ran numerous tests and then left Beckett and Castle to sit for a while.

Beckett did a double take as a tall thin older African American with graying hair walked into the room, carrying a chart.

"Well, Mr. Castle, I'm the cardiologist on call tonight." He peered over his half glasses at the writer. "The good news is that you didn't have a heart attack. What you had was a panic attack." He looked at the chart. "According to your chart, you were in a car wreck recently?"

Castle nodded slightly, looking at Beckett. "Yeah – we were supposed to get married last week but I totaled my car on the way to the wedding."

"And you sustained a minor concussion in the wreck," said the doctor, scribbling on the chart.

"Yes," said Castle.

"And you were on a stake out when the panic attack happened?"

Beckett nodded. "Castle is a volunteer with the 12th precinct and there was an accident with the suspect…a gun went off."

"Uh, huh," said the doctor. "And how have you been sleeping lately?"

Castle frowned slightly. "A few nightmares since the wreck happened."

"Uh, huh," said the doctor. He closed the chart and studied Castle for a few minutes with a frown.

"What is it, doctor? Is there something wrong with me?" Castle asked.

"What I'd like to do is suggest that you see a neurologist to make sure there aren't any after affects from the concussion. In the meantime, I can prescribe some anti-anxiety medication that should help with the sleeping problems."

"Okay," said Castle.

"So I'll start the discharge paperwork and give you a referral," said the doctor.

"Thanks," said Castle, relaxing and giving Beckett's hand a squeeze.

"Geez, Castle, you'll do anything to get out of shortening the guest list, won't you," Beckett said as she smiled and kissed him.

# # # # # # # # #


	7. Chapter 7 Darkening Skies

**A Convergence of Storms – Part 1**

Summary – A post 6x23 fic previously titled Hours Lost Forever. What happens when Castle shows back up after the car crash and thinks the crash happened after the wedding and Kate was in the car with him. Will be 3 parts and 3XK or Bracken are _**not**_ involved. This looks at some new "old" mythology based on Castle's time shadowing the CIA.

Author's Notes – Thanks for all the favs, follows, and reviews – they really mean a lot. You are awesome. Warning – just a little rough Castle weather ahead; this does talk about a sensitive subject for men. And a happy late 4th to all my fellow Americans and a big thank you to all service men and women.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do.

**Chapter 7 – Darkening Skies**

# # # # # # #

Castle was initialing his discharge papers and doctor's order when Espo called, saying that Atsusi folded like a leaf as soon as they reached the precinct.

Julie and he had been talking – fighting actually – and he grabbed her arm as she turned to leave. She overbalanced and fell, striking her head on the cabinet and he panicked, so he just left her there.

"Thanks, Espo," Beckett said as she looked at Castle and smiled. "I'll drop Castle off at the loft and be there in about an hour."

"Nah," said Espo. "We got this – you just take care of Castle."

"I'm touched by your concern," Castle commented.

"Well, you can't pay up if you're incapacitated or dead," came the reply.

"Thanks, bro," said Castle, smirking at the phone.

Beckett rolled her eyes. "We'll be in tomorrow morning then. Night, Espo."

She hung up the phone as a pharmacist walked in.

"Mr. Castle," he said, looking at the chart in his hand. "I'm Stanley from Pharmacy. The doctor ordered anti-anxiety meds for you."

The man pulled out his scanner. "If I can see your wrist band?" He quickly scanned the band on Castle's wrist and then the barcode on the bottle.

"This is alprazolam. Have you ever taken this medication before?" he asked.

"No," said Castle, frowning slightly. "No, I've never needed them before."

"This is commonly prescribed for panic attacks and anxiety disorders. Take 1 tablet three times a day." He opened a leaflet and handed it to Castle. "This lists the possible side effects, but if you think you're having an allergic reaction, call 911 immediately."

The man looked at his watch. "You were given a dose about two hours ago, so you should take the next dose in 6 hours. If you have any questions, you can call the number on the bottle."

Castle nodded as he opened the bottle, shook it slightly while looking at the pills, and then closed the lid. "Thanks."

An attendant walked in the room, pushing a wheelchair. "Mr. Castle, your chariot awaits you," he said.

"Really?" asked Castle, looking at the wheelchair. "I am perfectly capable of walking."

"Hospital policy," replied the attendant. "Don't want you passing out and hitting your head when you get the bill."

"Too late for that," said Castle as he got into the chair. "The rep from accounting has already been in."

# # # # # # #

Surprisingly, the next couple of days were quiet and Castle elected to stay home and write to meet a deadline.

Beckett became concerned when she came home the second day in a row and found Castle asleep on the couch, his laptop propped on his lap, his fingers resting on the keyboard, and the page on the screen filled with the letter u.

"Hey, babe," she said softly so as not to startle him. "Have a good day?" she asked as Castle blinked his eyes several times and yawned widely, barely catching his laptop as it started to slide off his lap.

"Uh, yeah," he said, looking at the screen. "What the …" He let out a disgusted sigh and deleted the document.

"So what do you want for dinner?"

Castle frowned for a minute and then shook his head slightly. "I'm not really hungry," he said, blinking his eyes again. "I think I'll just...uh…go lay down for a while."

"Okay," said Beckett, running a hand through his hair as she sat beside him. "Did you take your meds today?"

Castle nodded, trying not to yawn again. "Yeah."

"And make an appointment with the neurologist?"

Castle frowned again. "Uh, no – I forgot." He looked at Beckett with a slight smile. "I'll make sure I do that tomorrow." He kissed her softly. "Make sure I don't sleep too long, okay?"

"Okay," said Beckett as she watched Castle drag himself off the couch and head towards the bedroom.

She quickly fixed herself something to eat and cleaned the few dishes in the sink before walking into the bedroom to check on Castle. She frowned as she saw him lying on the bed, fully clothed, and pulled a throw off the chair to cover him with before walking into the bathroom and closing the door.

# # # # # # #

The skies were dark the next day, rain threatening, when they got the call about a body – a man found dead in a wooded area in Sara D. Roosevelt Park.

Standing in the kitchen in the loft, Beckett poured coffee in two to-go cups. "Hey, Castle, you ready?" she called.

Not hearing a response, she walked into the bedroom and stopped when she saw him sitting on the bed, eyes closed, his shirt on but not buttoned.

"Castle," she said firmly to get his attention.

"Huh?" he said, opening his eyes and blinking at her.

"You ready?"

"Uh, yeah," he said as he stood and buttoned his shirt. "Just…uh…thinking."

"Yeah," said Beckett, nodding her head and walking into his office. "Where's the card for the neurologist?"

"Kate, I said I would call him today," Castle said almost testily as he walked into the room. "And I will," he said kissing her nose as he walked past her.

"Okay," said Beckett, rolling her eyes slightly.

# # # # # # #

Lanie, Ryan, and Espo were already at the scene when they arrived.

The body was lying in a wooded area, several feet from the trail. An ugly jagged cut marred his left temple and a rock nearby was covered with blood.

"Male, about 43 years old. The blow to the head killed him, but there's this," Lanie said, moving aside his jacket collar to reveal a puncture wound on his neck. She looked up, waiting for Castle's comment.

"Huh," was all he said as he stared at the body.

Beckett and Lanie shared a look as Espo pulled a wallet out of a plastic bag. "Still has ID and money so robbery can probably be ruled out. Mr. Bob Stahlman, 555 Eldridge Street. Judging by his clothes, I'd say he was out running.

Ryan walked up with an older woman carrying a small dog in tow. "Hey, Beckett – we have a potential witness. This is Myrtle Wysman," he said. "Mrs. Wysman, this is Detective Beckett. Tell her what you told me."

"Like I said to this nice young man, I live right over there," she said pointing to some apartments across the park. "I was walking Duke in the park and going to the deli when I saw Bob on this trail. He was running really strangely, holding his neck and I thought it was odd he was wearing a scarf in this heat. I didn't see him when I came back though."

"Did you see anyone else in the area?" Beckett asked.

Mrs. Wysman nodded her head. "Some other joggers, some ladies walking their babies in strollers. No one was on this path though."

"Thanks, Mrs. Wysman." Beckett walked back over to Lanie as Ryan and Mrs. Wysman moved off to finish her interview.

"Anything else, Lanie?" Beckett asked.

Lanie shook her head. "I'll know more when I get him back – hey, Castle, watch out—" she said suddenly as Castle almost tripped over the body.

"Uh – sorry," said Castle, shaking his head. He frowned at Beckett. "Kate, I think I'm just going back to the loft for a while."

Beckett nodded. "You okay? Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, I'm just gonna lay down for a while," he said and then turned and walked to the street to hail a cab.

Beckett watched him go and then looked back at Lanie as she stood up.

"Girl, what's going on with your man?" she whispered. "First that panic attack and now this? That's not Castle. Is it about the accident?"

Beckett nodded miserably, knowing that she couldn't share everything she knew with her best friend. "He started having nightmares about it, and then the same doctor was at the hospital after he had a panic attack. He wants him to see a neurologist."

"So he thinks there's something wrong?" Lanie asked.

"Yeah, I think he does."

Lanie stripped off her gloves and gave Beckett a quick hug. "Let me know if there is anything I can do," she whispered.

Beckett nodded as the boys walked back up.

"I just saw Castle get in a cab – is everything okay?" asked Ryan.

"Yeah," Beckett nodded. "He just has some things to take care of at home."

# # # # # # # #

When Beckett walked in that night, she was pleasantly surprised by the delicious smells coming out of the kitchen.

"Hey, Castle, you must be feeling better if you're cooking," she said as she closed the door.

"No, it's me," said Alexis, wiping her hands on a dish towel and greeting her with a hug. "Grams said that dad sounded a little down on the phone so I thought I'd come by and fix some of his favorite dishes and then head back to my friend's." She tilted her head slightly towards his office. "He's talking with his lawyer about the problem at the airport."

"I'm so glad you're here," Beckett said, smiling. "We've missed you." She thought a moment. "You know you can come back any time."

"Well, you are technically supposed to be on your honeymoon," said Alexis. "And Grams and I don't want to interrupt anything."

Beckett shook her head. "Well, you won't be—"

Alexis held up her hand. "Way too much oversharing," she said quickly.

Beckett smiled slightly. "What I meant to say was that your dad's been sleeping a lot since the wreck. It would be nice to have someone to talk to."

Alexis nodded and frowned. "Yeah, he seems kinda off when I talk to him." She looked at Beckett. "Is everything okay?"

Beckett nodded. Now she was lying to Alexis as well. "He'll be okay – just give him some time."

She was about to say something else when Castle stormed out of the office. "Babe, what's wrong?"

"Phil has no idea why I'm on the no fly list so he doesn't know how to fix it," Castle said, scrubbing his face with his hands in frustration. "He's talked to the mayor and even to Senator Gillibrand, but they can't pull up any information. So as long as I'm on the list, we're stuck here."

"Hey, it's okay," Beckett said, hugging him. "We can always go to Niagara Falls for our honeymoon. I hear it's quite the romantic destination."

"Yeah, but not as much fun as a private island in the Maldives," said Castle pouting.

Alexis cleared her throat as they kissed. "So do you want Caesar dressing on the salad or Italian?"

"God damn it, Alexis, just pick one," Castle said harshly.

The shocked look on his face was matched by the shocked expressions on both Beckett's and Alexis' faces.

He quickly walked to his daughter and grabbed her in a hug. "Alexis, I am so sorry," he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut as tears threatened to slide out. "I didn't mean it, Pumpkin." He paused for a beat. "Either one is fine."

Alexis nodded, squeezing her lips tightly together as she returned the hug.

"It smells wonderful and I appreciate it," Castle said as he kissed the top of her head.

# # # # # # # # # #

Dinner was a quiet affair, something unusual in the Castle household Beckett had come to realize. Usually they discussed their day, what new things they had seen, other topics that were of interest.

But now everyone sat quietly eating, Castle pushing the food around on his plate mostly.

"This is really good," he finally said, glancing up at Alexis. He thought another minute. "Uh, have you thought about coming back?"

Alexis nodded, glad to have something to talk about finally. "Yeah, I was thinking about staying here tonight…"

"Good," said Castle, nodding. He wiped his mouth with his napkin and then put it on the table. "I think I'm just going to go to bed."

"Okay," both Alexis and Kate replied.

Castle kissed Alexis on the head. "I'm so sorry, Pumpkin," he whispered.

Alexis shook her head and smiled at him. "Don't worry about it. We all get stressed sometimes and say things we don't mean."

Castle nodded and then moved to kiss Beckett and then walked into the bedroom and shut the door.

Alexis watched him go and then turned to Beckett, tears in her eyes. "Kate, are you sure my dad is going to be okay?"

# # # # # # # #

Beckett walked into the bedroom a short time later to find Castle sitting on the bed in his boxers, a t-shirt wadded in his hands, head hanging low.

"Kate," he said finally. "I don't know what's wrong with me – I've never yelled at Alexis ever."

Beckett crawled across the bed and hugged him from behind, wrapping her arms around him and laying her head on his back. "It will be okay, babe."

Castle nodded, barely able to keep back tears.

"We'll get through this," she whispered in his ear, kissing the side of his neck.

They stayed like that for several minutes before Castle straightened slightly.

"I'm – uh – just going to take a shower," he finally said, not looking at Beckett.

Beckett nodded. "Want some help?" she whispered in his ear.

Castle shook his head and swallowed. "No, no – I'll be out in a couple of minutes."

Now it was Beckett's turn to frown. "Okay, I'll just go help Alexis clean up."

"Okay," Castle said sullenly and walked into the bathroom.

He shut and locked the door and quickly stripped, looking at himself in the mirror. He had always had a response before and now nothing…? Not even a little? Usually it just took one look at Beckett, one breath of hers against his neck he thought as he fingered himself, but still nothing.

This had never happened before, he thought in horror. Other men, yes, but not to him.

Castle ran a shaky hand through his hair.

What the hell was happening to him? He was angry one minute and then almost in tears the next, and he had never yelled at Alexis before.

He quickly thought over the events of the last few days, trying to pinpoint what exactly had changed and the only thing that came to mind were the pills the doctor had prescribed after his panic attack.

Castle nodded at himself in the mirror. That's what it had to be, so he wouldn't take them for a couple of days and see if that changed anything.

But Beckett was adamant that he take them. She had said that the doctors prescribed anti-anxiety meds for her for several weeks after her shooting and they helped her.

He quickly decided to substitute the contents of the bottle for the vitamins that his internist had prescribed and then he'd talk to Beckett if he saw any changes.

Castle nodded to himself again and turned on the spray of the shower and stepped in, letting the pulse of the hot water relax his muscles.

# # # # # # # #


	8. Chapter 8 The Patter of Rain

**A Convergence of Storms – Part 1**

Summary – A post 6x23 fic previously titled Hours Lost Forever. What happens when Castle shows back up after the car crash and thinks the crash happened after the wedding and Kate was in the car with him. Will be 3 parts and 3XK or Bracken are _**not**_ involved. This looks at some new "old" mythology based on Castle's time shadowing the CIA.

Author's Notes – Thanks for all the favs, follows, and reviews – they really mean a lot. You are awesome. Come on September. Yes, I'm borrowing dialog from the show with a slight twist. All OCs are mine.

And as a side note, if you ever notice any unusual reactions from any of the prescription meds you're taking, talk to your doctor immediately. There are several I can't take because I turn into the wicked witch of the west when I do.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do.

**Chapter 8 – The Patter of Rain**

# # # # # # #

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you." Joseph Heller, _Catch-22_

# # # # # # #

When Beckett woke up the next morning, Castle was snoring softly, his face more relaxed than she had seen in several days.

She watched him sleep for several minutes and then quickly made up her mind, gathered her clothes and dressed in the spare bedroom upstairs so she wouldn't wake him.

She had heard him get up in the middle of the night and pad into the kitchen, and then come back several minutes later before snuggling up against her. They simply held each other, enjoying being together before sleep claimed them.

# # # # # # # #

Several hours later, Castle's eyes popped open and he frowned, looking around the room flooded with daylight, wondering what time it was. He was aware of three things – Kate was gone (probably to work), he was hungry, and he was definitely up. Too bad Kate wasn't home.

He quickly showered, dressed, and walked into the kitchen.

Beckett had left a note on the counter, saying that she was at the precinct and would be home later. There wasn't a note from Alexis though and he could hear her upstairs.

He smiled to himself and pulled out the makings for emergency cheering up pancakes to apologize for his behavior last night.

# # # # # # # #

Alexis was reading a book in her room when she smelled something delicious cooking and walked downstairs.

She smiled when she reached the bottom, standing there for a minute watching her father as he expertly fixed…cheering up pancakes?

"Dad?" she asked hopefully. "What's this? Emergency cheering up pancakes?"

Castle smiled at her. "Well, they're emergency make-up pancakes now." He walked over to her and gave her a big hug and kiss on the top of her head. "I'm sorry, Alexis. I know that I've been a bear lately and I just wanted—"

"No," said Alexis, shaking her head. "You've been under a lot of stress lately – with the wedding and the wreck. I understand."

"Thanks for being you," Castle said, giving her another kiss, and then returning to the stove to flip the pancakes. "So dinner tonight? My treat."

"Okay," said Alexis, beaming.

# # # # # # # #

Beckett stared at the murder board. So far, they hadn't caught a break on the case. The man had no enemies that they could find, nothing strange in his financials and life that would lead someone to murder him. Espo and Ryan were running his records again to see if they missed anything.

She picked up her blue coffee mug and stared at the contents when the smell of fresh brewed coffee reached her nose and she looked at the to-go cup that mysteriously appeared on her desk.

"So, I was thinking it was a 1-fanged vampire," said Castle as he sat down in his chair by her desk and looked at the picture of the man on the board.

"Oh?" Beckett said as she smiled and picked up the cup. "I didn't think vampires could go out in daylight."

"Just a rumor spread by werewolves," Castle commented.

"Got nothing," said Ryan, looking over at Beckett.

Castle stared at the picture a moment longer before looking at Beckett. "That puncture wound on his neck – that look a lot like a viper snake bite."

Beckett shrugged. "Lanie will have the tox reports back this afternoon, so maybe we'll have something then, but a viper snake in New York City?"

"Yeah, and there's only 1 puncture wound," said Espo. "Wouldn't there be 2?"

"Not necessarily," said Castle getting up to examine the picture. "I interviewed a snake wrangler one time and he was showing me all of the scars from his bites."

"Must not have been a good snake wrangler then," said Espo.

Castle quirked an eyebrow at him. "He said sometimes the snake only gets one fang in." He thought a moment. "Picture this, Stahlman is running along the path; his shoe comes untied and he leans down to tie it. He hears a rustle in the bushes and looks up and sees a snake. Before he can react, the snake lunges at him and he moves aside enough so that the snake only gets one fang in. The snake can't get free and he runs along the path, holding his hands to his neck trying to get the snake off. So Mrs. Wysman didn't see a scarf, she saw the snake."

Beckett and Espo frowned at him, but Ryan narrowed his eyes in thought and nodded. "That could actually make sense." He leafed through some papers on his desk. "One of the people we talked to was in the park looking his pet. He didn't say what the pet was, but the name he was calling was Nagaina."

Ryan quickly pulled up the man's information. "Thomas Cummings, 460 Forsyth. And he was busted 4 years ago for having several pythons in his apartment."

"Sounds like he's got a thing for exotic animals," said Castle, sipping his coffee. "And what better name for a king cobra?"

Beckett frowned at the picture and then back at Castle. "Let's bring him in for questioning."

Castle smiled smugly over the top of his coffee cup. "It's like I was never gone."

# # # # # # # # #

Thomas Cummings admitted to having lost the king cobra that he was keeping illegally and pleaded to involuntary manslaughter charges.

The city police put out a BOLO on the snake which was quickly rounded up.

# # # # # # # # #

A couple of mornings later, they got a call about a body in an alley.

Castle and Beckett were dressing after a quick shower.

Castle looked at his watch and made a face. "You know, I can move my meeting at Black Pawn to another day."

"And give Gina any more excuses to make your life miserable?" Beckett commented as she tucked in her blouse.

Castle nodded as he put the cufflinks through the cuffs of his button-down shirt. "Yeah. I guess I should just stand up and take it like a man," he commented.

"And you are the man," Beckett said, kissing him lightly on the lips as she walked past.

"Well, when you put it like that, we could be a little late," Castle said as he drew her to him.

They kissed for a few moments before Beckett's phone rang again, quickly followed by Castle's.

Beckett slowly drew away. "We'll just have to put this on hold for a little while, but save my place."

"Always," said Castle as they touched foreheads.

# # # # # # # # #

Beckett walked into the alley to meet Espo, Ryan, and Lanie. "What do we have?"

"Male victim, early 70's, single GSW to the back," said Lanie. "I would say from the lack of blood splatter, he was killed elsewhere and then moved here."

"They dumped him here, probably hoping that he'd picked up and in a landfill before he was reported missing," said Espo.

"Yeah," nodded Ryan. "And no identification on the body."

Beckett nodded. "Okay, let's canvass the area and check for any security footage."

Espo and Ryan nodded.

Lanie waited a few minutes as Espo and Ryan moved off to start the investigation. "So I hear that Castle's feeling better now," she said quietly.

Beckett nodded, smiling. "Yeah, almost back to his normal self. We still have some issues we're dealing with."

"And the wedding?" Lanie asked.

Beckett wrinkled her nose. "We're working on that too." Her phone beeped and she pulled it out and laughed as she read the text. "He's stuck in a meeting at Black Pawn. He doesn't want us to solve the murder without him."

"Aren't their offices a couple of blocks from here?" asked Lanie. "Maybe you should pop in and surprise him."

Beckett smiled as she typed in a reply. "I just might," she said thoughtfully.

# # # # # # # # #

While Espo and Ryan canvassed the buildings around the alley, Beckett walked to the street to see if any of the storefronts had surveillance video that would show what had happened.

She talked with the several owners, but so far, found nothing, and then walked back out to the street.

She was about to go into another store when she saw Castle walking down the other side of the street and smiled to herself, and then paused. She hadn't told him the location of the body – he must have called Ryan or Espo to find out.

Beckett started to wave at him when he stopped suddenly and looked into the window, combing his hair with his hand. She watched him for a few moments with an amused expression when he started walking again. That man and his hair.

Castle stopped suddenly again, looking at the window display.

Beckett frowned. She could tell from the angle he was looking, he wasn't looking at what was in the store window but at the side walk behind him.

She watched him as he started walking again and then stopped suddenly again several yards later. He started walking again, this time passing several stores before stopping suddenly and whirling around, scanning the area around him.

Apparently he spotted whatever he was looking for because he pointed at a man standing on the corner half a block from him and yelled, "Hey, you!"

The man ignored him and quickly crossed the street to the other side to the bus stop, where a bus had just pulled up.

Beckett gasped as Castle dashed out into the street, almost being hit by several cars, horns blaring and drivers swearing, as he rushed toward the bus.

"Wait!" he called, but the bus pulled away before he could reach it.

Castle jerked in frustration and ran a hand through his hair.

Beckett watched him for a moment and then pulled out her phone. "How's the meeting going?" she texted.

She watched him pull his phone out of his pocket and then smile slightly. "Must have been good – got out early – took a walk. Need me at the precinct?" he texted back.

Beckett nodded once. Okay, he wasn't lying to her but she had to know what he thought was going on. "How about home in 30 minutes? We can have a quick lunch."

"See you there," was the reply.

She watched him hail a cab and then waited a few minutes before hailing one herself.

# # # # # # # # #

Castle was already setting out a salad and grilled chicken breasts when Beckett walked in the door.

"Hi, babe," Beckett said as she walked over to him and hugged him from the back. "How did things go at Black Pawn?"

Castle shrugged slightly. "The usual but I think I was killing a character in my head while they were talking," he replied. "So how was your morning?"

"The usual," Beckett said as she released him. "Dead body in a dumpster in an alley."

"Yeah, you'd think they would find some place new." Castle looked at the food and then at Beckett. "Do you want some wine?"

"Still on duty," she said, wrinkling her nose.

"Oh, yeah," said Castle.

Beckett took his hand and looked at him seriously. "Babe, we need to talk."

"Okay," said Castle, looking a little leery. "Hey, I'm sorry about the other day. I just wasn't paying attention. It won't happen again."

Beckett shook her head. "No, no – it's not that," she said as she led him over to the couch and sat him down. "Rick," she said after a moment, "The body was in the alley near Black Pawn. I was talking to some of the shop owners and I saw you – it looked like you were chasing someone – you almost got hit by a car."

"Oh," said Castle, swallowing slightly and leaning back. He released Beckett's hand and drummed his fingers lightly on the arm of the couch, thinking. "Beckett, you'll probably think I'm crazy but ever since the wreck, I've had the feeling that people have been watching me – following me."

He stood and started to pace. "I'm sure it's just the stress of everything that happened – the wreck, the panic attack. But there's been these guys every place I go – when I look outside at night, I see them sometimes."

He sat down on the couch and looked at Beckett. "And I haven't been truthful, Kate," he admitted. "I stopped taking the pills a couple of days ago and I haven't made an appointment with the neurologist."

Beckett nodded and leaned forward, pressing her lips together, thinking about what to say and decided it was time to come clean. "That's because you are being followed," she said simply, waiting for his response.

Castle blinked at her. "What?" he asked, with a stunned expression on his face.

"Since the wreck," Beckett continued. "It wasn't an accident," she said, shaking her head. "There was another car involved – a black Escalade – and the people in it took you and torched your car. They wanted information from you."

"What are you talking about?" Castle asked as he looked at Beckett in almost disbelief.

"After the wreck – when they took you to the hospital," Beckett said, tears forming in her eyes. "You couldn't see me – you thought we were married and that I died in the wreck." She stopped for a minute, squeezing her eyes shut, and then opened them again to look at Castle. "Two doctors came – I thought that they were the specialists who had been called. Well, they were specialists, but they weren't the ones that Dr. Freas had called. They're CIA. They found out what happened and they fixed you. But they were concerned that you might remember something."

Castle shook his head. "How do you know this?" he asked quietly.

Beckett dropped her head and said in a quiet voice, "Someone had to make sure you didn't remember."

"Are you a part of this?" Castle asked.

Beckett nodded miserably. "I was just trying to keep you safe."

Castle swallowed and nodded. "Uh," he said, and then started again. "How do you know the doctors were who they said they were?"

"Martin Danberg came to the hospital while they were there. He signed off on what they were doing," Beckett replied, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

Castle nodded and thought for a moment. "What did they say?"

"They said when you were shadowing the CIA, you were given some reports to read that weren't properly redacted. The people who took you wanted the information in those reports. The only way you'd be safe is if you didn't remember the information or the incident."

"So you knew what was wrong all this time and you've been lying to me?" Castle asked, the hurt evident in his voice.

Beckett nodded. "Rick, these people who took you – they did horrible things to you – they made you think that I died in the car crash – that you couldn't rescue me from the fire." She wiped a tear from her cheek. "The doctors gave me the choice of either erasing all the memories from the kidnapping or making it just a bad dream. But if they erased it, they weren't sure how much of your memory they'd actually erase."

"So you chose to make it a bad dream?" Castle asked.

Beckett nodded. "I'm so sorry, Castle."

Castle nodded and then began to pace again. "Althea," he said finally. "I need to call Althea."

# # # # # # # #


	9. Chapter 9 Deluge

**A Convergence of Storms – Part 1**

Summary – A post 6x23 fic previously titled Hours Lost Forever. What happens when Castle shows back up after the car crash and thinks the crash happened after the wedding and Kate was in the car with him. Will be 3 parts and 3XK or Bracken are _**not**_ involved. This looks at some new "old" mythology based on Castle's time shadowing the CIA.

Author's Notes – Thanks for all the favs, follows, and reviews – they really mean a lot. You are awesome. And yeah for 3-day weekends! Rated T for mild swearing.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do.

**Chapter 9 – Deluge**

# # # # # # # # #

It was with much consternation that Beckett found herself at Coney Island two hours later, Castle sitting nervously beside her, rubbing his sweaty palms on his thighs several times to dry them as they waited for Althea.

She watched him for a minute before saying softly, "You didn't say much on the way here. Are you mad at me? For lying to you?"

Castle paused and frowned, then dropped his head and shook it. "No, no, I'm not. Hurt, yes, but not mad." He made a face and shrugged slightly. "But then again I spent 9 months lying to you to protect you – to keep you safe, so I guess we're even."

Beckett pressed her lips together, not looking at Castle. "So is that what we're doing – keeping score?" she finally asked.

"No, oh, god no, Kate – never," Castle said quickly, looking at her. "We both kept secrets and I don't want us doing that anymore." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I want us to be able to tell each other anything – to trust each other enough to do that."

Castle frowned. "Last year, when you were in Washington – after I was poisoned, I could feel it eating away at me, and my only regret in those last few hours was that I waited so long to tell you that I loved you." He shook his head. "And that night when Alexis graduated – when you came to the loft after almost dying and you told me that I was all that you wanted…and then you stood on that bomb and said 'I love you'…"

He took a breath and touched her face with his hand. "I don't want that for us, Kate – only to be able to tell each other these things when we're facing death. I don't want any more regrets."

Beckett smiled at him with tears in her eyes. "And that's why I want to marry you," she said as she leaned forward to kiss him.

Their lips lingered for a minute and then they touched foreheads before sitting back next to each other, holding hands.

"But I have saved your life more times than you've saved my life," Castle quipped off-handedly.

Beckett let out an exasperated breath and hit him lightly on the arm.

Castle smiled at her and then the expression on his face hardened as he looked down the boardwalk at a couple approaching them. "Damn," he said standing up. "This must be bad – they brought in the heavy guns."

Beckett watched the two people as they got closer.

The woman was tall, slender, athletic, her short brown curly hair cropped close, framing her face. Beckett guessed that she was in her late 40's, but the woman had that ageless quality about her.

The man was about Castle's height and age, an eye patch covering his left eye, a slight limp in his walk.

They both looked like tourist, dressed in floral shirts, khaki shorts, and sandals.

"Richard," the woman said as they stopped in front of them. "I was surprised to get your call so soon."

"Althea, you're looking as good as ever," Castle said, reaching forward to shake her hand. He nodded toward the man. "Anders."

The man nodded back. "Hey, speed reader."

Castle turned to Beckett. "Kate, this is Althea Conrad – she was my handler when I was shadowing the CIA."

Althea turned to Beckett and reached out her hand. "Civilian liaison," she corrected as they shook hands. "I assure you, Detective Beckett, that I never handled anything." She smiled at Beckett. "You must be Detective Katherine Beckett. It's so good to finally meet you."

"Ah, I didn't know Castle told you about me," said Beckett, shaking the woman's hand.

"Oh, he hasn't," said Althea simply.

"This is Brad Anders," said Castle, motioning towards the man. "He was the section head of the department in the CIA that I shadowed."

"Director now," said Anders, reaching out his hand to shake Beckett's.

"Uh, are you sure we should be doing this here?" Castle asked, looking around.

Althea looked around herself and shrugged. "I can't think of a better place," she said. "It's open and public." She frowned at Castle. "You didn't follow instructions, but why doesn't that surprise me?" she said, pulling a red baseball hat out of her pack. "Here – put this on."

Castle took the hat and looked at it. "Why does that make me feel like I have a target on my back?"

Althea smiled at him. "It's just so that if something happens, the sniper on the roof over there doesn't accidentally take you out." She looked at the people standing near the edge of the boardwalk. "And the man taking pictures over there – that's an audio jammer, so there isn't a chance of us being overheard."

Castle frowned as he put on the hat, his shoulder slumping slightly in an effort not to be so noticeable.

"So what's going on?" he asked. "Why are you following me?"

Anders looked at him for a minute and then at Beckett without saying anything.

"Listen," said Castle, putting up his hand. "Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of Kate. I trust her with my life."

"As your fiancé, I think you would," said Althea, nodding. "Fair enough. Do you want to start or do you want me to start?" she asked him.

"Castle, I don't understand – what's going on?" Beckett asked.

Castle took her hands. "Kate, when I was shadowing the CIA, I was also working for them."

"A spy – like your dad?" Kate blurted out before she could think and then quickly covered her mouth at having revealed that to two strangers.

"That's okay, Kate, if I may call you that," Althea quickly assured her. "It's one of the worst kept secrets at certain levels in the Company. But no, that would mean being inconspicuous and flying under the radar, neither of which are Rick's strong points. No offense," she said looking at Castle.

"None taken," he replied. "Kate, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde were correct – I did read reports while I was there – I worked as an analyst, gratis of course. Anders thought that if I was observing them, I could at least make myself useful and not so annoying. It really happened by accident."

Castle paused for a moment. "Surprisingly, Anders was not very pleased that I was there – said it upset the delicate balance of the department synergy, as I recall," he said, looking at the man.

"Anyway, I had to have a security clearance, and after I had been there for a couple of weeks, one of their analysts was out so Anders gave me a report to analyze. He told me not to come back until after I had read it all, thinking that it would keep me busy for a couple of days."

Castle pressed his lips together for a moment, thinking. "Anyway, he was being a jackass and I was being a wise ass. The document was about 1,000 pages, and Alexis and mother were in California visiting Meredith, so I spent all night reading it. I also looked up several key points on the internet that pertained to the report and noted those. I went back first thing the next morning and gave him my report."

"Yeah," said Anders. "I lost the office bet – cost me two week's pay."

"And a legend was born—" said Althea.

"Speed reader," said Beckett.

"Yeah, my super power," Castle quipped. "Able to read large amounts and retain that knowledge for a while – at least long enough to pass a test on it."

He looked at Anders and Althea. "So what's going on? What's the problem?"

Anders frowned slightly. "When we found out that Sophia Turner was a rouge agent, we performed a forensic analysis on all of her activities within the Company. She was very good at hiding her tracks, and it took several years to complete it."

Althea nodded. "Rick, we found some disturbing variances concerning you."

"Okay," said Castle hesitantly. It still surprised him to this day that Sophia, a woman he thought he knew so well, was a double agent capable of starting WWIII.

"Did she ever give you any reports to read?" Anders asked bluntly.

Castle nodded. "Yeah, a couple of times when she was supervising the group in your absence. She said that you left them for me to review. Why?"

Anders and Althea looked at each other, and then Althea looked at Castle. "Because she wasn't authorized to give you any reports at all. Only Anders was."

She took Castle's hand. "I'm sorry, Rick. She played us and you were the fatted calf."

# # # # # # # #


	10. Chapter 10 Lightning Strike

**A Convergence of Storms – Part 1**

Summary – A post 6x23 fic previously titled Hours Lost Forever. What happens when Castle shows back up after the car crash and thinks the crash happened after the wedding and Kate was in the car with him. Will be 3 parts and 3XK or Bracken are _**not**_ involved. This looks at some new "old" mythology based on Castle's time shadowing the CIA.

Author's Notes – Thanks for all the favs, follows, and reviews – they really mean a lot. You are awesome. Yep, it's a Monday again.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do.

**Chapter 10 – Lightning Strike**

# # # # # # # # #

"What?" Castle asked, stunned by the revelation. "Why would she do that?"

"Someone wanted the information in the reports," Althea replied simply.

"I – uh – read a lot of reports while I was there. Do you – uh – do you know which ones they were?" Castle asked, swallowing thickly.

Anders shook his head. "We've narrowed it down to some that analyzed certain accounts at UBS that could be considered 'tainted'. The source files have gone missing though. We'd like you to come in and look at them to see if they are familiar. They've been redacted, so it may not do any good. Like I said, Turner was very good at covering her tracks."

Castle nodded slowly and looked at the couple questioningly. "So why didn't Sophia just give them the information?" he asked. "Why did she need me?"

"Turner needed to maintain her cover, so she couldn't meet with them directly," said Althea. "And any paper copies or electronic copies would have left a trail."

"I feel so used, like a cheap information mule," Castle commented, staring off in the distance.

"$500,000 was deposited into an offshore account in her name a couple of weeks before you quit shadowing the company, presumably from whoever she was working for," offered Althea.

"Like an expensive information mule," Castle quipped, still stunned by the revelation.

"So how was this supposed to go down?" he asked. "How were they going to retrieve the information?"

"Do you remember the two courier drops you were allowed to go on in Argentina just before you quit shadowing the agency?" Althea asked.

"Kicked out, more like it – told in very polite terms that I wasn't welcome any more," growled Castle. "Yeah, I remember those."

Castle noticed the look that passed between Anders and Althea. "And one of those is a fake memory – just like the car wreck, isn't it?" He stood and starting pacing. "Is that all you can do – lie?"

"Basically yes," admitted Anders.

"So it couldn't have been the first one – Sophia was on that one." Castle stopped suddenly, squeezing his eyes shut, a stricken expression on his face. "Oh, oh, damn—I've been such a fool. It was supposed to have been then." He shook his head. "It all makes sense now."

He looked off in the distance. "We flew into Buenos Aires and took a small private plane to Mar del Plata. It was pouring rain when we got there – we both got soaked getting out of the plane and into the cab. The small inn we were staying at had lost power and Sophia came to my room later to see if I was okay." He paused for a moment, looking at Beckett, and then continued.

"It was dark and I had lit several candles – it was hot and steamy – and we didn't have anything else to do so we…fraternized. Several times," he admitted. "The next morning, we were sitting at the table outside, waiting for breakfast, when she picked a red rose from the garden and put it in the lapel of the jacket I was wearing. I thought she was being romantic – that it meant something – but she was just marking me," he said, shaking his head.

"Then she said she had left her phone in her room and left to go get it. She said that the courier wouldn't be there until about lunch time and to not do anything stupid until she came back.

"I was watching the crowd to see if I could spot the courier when a man across the patio stood up after a while and started toward me. I thought he might have been the courier. But then a police car pulled up with its lights flashing and a man got out, waving his arms and yelling at me. The other man took one look at him and took off.

"I was pretty sure I was going to be arrested on the spot for being an undercover CIA agent, when he asked if I was Richard Castle, no? A fan in a small town in Argentina – who would have guessed?" Castle said.

"Anyway, his wife owned the local bookstore and he asked if I was available to sign books at her shop. Some of my books had been translated into Spanish and I didn't want to turn him down and start an international incident, so I went with him."

Castle ran a shaky hand through his hair. "Then, when I got back to the inn several hours later, Sophia was surprised – shocked in fact – that I was there. And she wasn't pleased when I told her that the police chief had invited us to dinner at his house that evening. She reminded me very vehemently that we were supposed to be flying under the radar, not socializing with the town officials.

"The dinner ran long and she left about midnight. She barely spoke to me the rest of the trip and only said that the courier had been detained by the rain storm."

Anders nodded. "That was her account also – but without the mention of fraternization."

Castle nodded. "So the next trip was the fake one." His eyes narrowed in thought. "Sophia couldn't go because she twisted her ankle when she was sparring, so you went in her place." Castle looked at Anders for confirmation.

"Everything seemed fine – same plane rides, same inn. We met with the courier and then we left…" Castle paused for a moment as if remembering something not thought of for a long time. "But the sea plane we were on crashed when taking off from Mar del Plata and I dislocated my shoulder and hit my head. You were so afraid I was going to sue that you asked me to leave – said it hadn't been a good idea to have a civilian consultant after all."

He looked at Anders and Althea. "But that's not the way it happened, is it?"

Anders frowned for a minute. "The crash, yes, but not the moment before and not what happened afterwards. Of course, we didn't know what had happened at the time." He nodded at Althea and she pulled a tablet from her satchel.

"You didn't remember what happened and we thought it best to leave it that way, then this showed up at Black Pawn several months later," she said, handing the tablet to Castle.

Castle read the first page and then looked up in surprise. "My story – A Convergence of Storms – I thought it had been lost. You stole my story! Do you know how long it took me to start writing again after that?" he exclaimed. "Everything was so jumbled – I couldn't come up with a coherent thought for weeks – unless that was you again…" He frowned at the thought.

"Rick, I am sorry about that, but we just took back what was ours, per the agreement that you signed," Althea said.

Castle shook his head. "But I just made that up."

Althea shook her head in response. "No, Rick, you didn't – except for the locations, that's what happened during the 2nd trip."

Rick looked at the tablet and then back at Althea. "I don't understand."

"Several people were quite shocked when they read the first few chapters. Others of us, vindicated. The courier drop that Derek was sent on, meeting the contact, the spider in the bathroom, the kidnapping by the enemy, and daring escape," said Althea.

"It was like staring into the mirror," Castle said remembering what he had written.

Althea nodded. "Some of us wanted you to continue to see if you could remember the events, remember the contact, at least subconsciously. Others, Sophia for one, said that it was too dangerous and you should never have gone. Anders wanted to give you a lobotomy."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Castle said. He frowned, narrowing his eyes in thought. "So Storm and Bentley were waiting at the extraction point. Bentley was standing several feet away, talking on his phone. Storm was talking with their guide, Adelmo, and the sea plane started to land when Adelmo's head just exploded in a hail of hot lead…"

Castle paled as he realized what he had said and rushed to the trash can and vomited up his lunch. He waited a few minutes before standing, taking out his handkerchief and wiping his mouth.

Beckett silently handed him the bottle of water she carried and gave his hand a quick squeeze. He rinsed his mouth out and gave her a shaky smile back.

Althea watched him for a moment. "At the time, we thought it was just insurgents, but during the forensic audit, we found a carefully laid out plan. Sophia fed you the reports and sent you to South America where the people who paid her were waiting for you."

"Did I tell them anything?" Castle finally asked.

Althea shrugged. "Apparently not since they came after you again."

"So how did we get out? Did my father rescue us?" Castle said. "Or is what I wrote true?"

Althea smiled sadly. "We don't know. Anders had a severe head injury from the attack – lost his eye," she said nodding at the man beside her. "A couple of days after the crash, you walked into a medical aid camp, dragging Anders behind you on a tarp and said he had been injured. Fortunately we had someone who was embedded into that group and they contacted us immediately."

"You were stabilized and flown out. We followed the path you had taken and found where you had been held a couple of miles away." She paused. "There were 5 men there, all dead. They had been shot, but we didn't find any guns and the bullets had been removed. They were ghosts – we never could identify them. But it just another mystery until after we found out about Sophia."

Castle shook his head. "Why don't I remember any of this? Traumatic amnesia? Jedi mind control? Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?"

"No," said Althea, sweeping his bangs off of his forehead, pausing over the almost invisible scar above his left eyebrow. "A knife embedded there. They think the force disrupted your short term memory of the event."

Castle's mouth gaped open. "Really – must not have needed those brain cells," he remarked.

"Do you know who these people are?" Beckett asked quietly.

Anders shook his head. "It's taken us years to uncover this much. We'll keep at it though."

Castle looked up suddenly. "These people – did they come after Kate too?" he asked urgently.

Althea paused a moment and then nodded. "Yes, but they obviously weren't successful."

Anders nodded. "A couple of weeks after your engagement announcement was published, a fake marriage license was inserted in the New York marriage license database for a Katherine Beckett and Rogan O'Leary. We traced the addition to an unidentifiable temp worker."

"And we also had a long talk with O'Leary," said Althea. "About 2 months ago, he was contacted by a Mr. Stephen Cannell who said he wanted to play a trick on his good friend Mr. Richard Castle before he was married and paid him $5,000 in cash to pretend to be married to Kit-Kat."

"Hmm," Castle said, looking at Beckett. "Your ex isn't a reader either."

"So they got us up there – why didn't they do anything then?" Beckett asked.

"They didn't count on the bikers and Barbozza. A little too exposed for them," said Anders.

"Our venue?" Castle asked.

Althea nodded.

"My dress?" Beckett said.

Althea nodded again. "What they didn't count on was your father having your mother's dress – divide and conquer. But you were never alone, Kate, so you were untouchable."

"So they just took me," said Castle. He frowned as he looked at Beckett. "Is it over? Are they still out there?"

"No and yes, they are," said Althea. "We've had a tail on you since the wreck and have seen certain signs."

Castle swallowed again. "Okay." He studied Anders and Althea. "How do I know that any of this is true? How do I know that you aren't lying to me now? How do you even know any of this?"

Althea paused a moment before answering. "We managed to discover Turner's original contact and your father volunteered to resolve the situation. He said he felt responsible for putting you in the crosshairs. He managed to track the man down and found pictures that the man had of you, Rick. Then we followed the trail."

Castle nodded. "Uh, my passport – I lost my passport on the 2nd trip to Argentina…"

Althea nodded. "Actually, it's been found but we're not sure by whom—"

Castle's head snapped up. "That's why I'm on the no fly list."

"Yes," confirmed Althea. "Someone is using your passport, so we've locked that avenue down."

Castle nodded, thoroughly shocked by what had been revealed. He dropped his head into his hands and Beckett laid a supporting hand on his back.

He finally looked up. "This happened more than 10 years ago – why now? What's changed?"

Althea pressed her lips together and then took Rick's hands in hers. "Rick, we just had confirmation that your father was killed in a bombing about 5 weeks ago. It's been verified by hair, teeth, and bone fragments. I'm so sorry."

Castle nodded slowly, tears forming in his eyes. This day had just gone from bad to worst.

# # # # # # # # #


	11. Chapter 11 Aftermath

**A Convergence of Storms – Part 1**

Summary – A post 6x23 fic previously titled Hours Lost Forever. What happens when Castle shows back up after the car crash and thinks the crash happened after the wedding and Kate was in the car with him. Will be 3 parts and 3XK or Bracken are _**not**_ involved. This looks at some new "old" mythology based on Castle's time shadowing the CIA.

Author's Notes – Thanks for all the favs, follows, and reviews – they really mean a lot. You are awesome. This is fairly short.

BTW, in chapter 10, I added something to one sentence – '"Several people were quite shocked when they read the first few chapters. Others of us, vindicated. The courier drop that Derek was sent on, meeting the contact, the spider in the bathroom, the kidnapping by the enemy, and daring escape," said Althea.'

I'm not sure if FF notifies people when I replace a chapter.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do.

**Chapter 11 – Aftermath**

# # # # # # # # #

The funeral was held in a back corner of the Arlington National Cemetery specially reserved for these types of situations. It was small and private, only 6 people in attendance, no honor guard, no flag ceremony, no 21 gun salute, befitting a person who did not exist.

They hadn't shared all the facts with Martha and Alexis, just that Hunt had been killed on duty and a ceremony would take place to commemorate his life if they wanted to attend.

The group stood silently around the columbarium wall where the cremated remains had been placed after a short prayer was read. A small name plate marked the spot.

When Althea asked Castle what he wanted on it, he hesitated, not knowing what to put on it and then decided just to use the name that Hunt had told him the first time they met, when he thought that Hunt was one of the good guys.

But Castle would never know what Hunt's real name was and that left him with an odd sense of being incomplete. Other than that, Castle wasn't sure how to feel. The man had sired him, but, in his absence, his mother had filled the both roles of mother and father as he grew up.

Hunt had been a stranger – not family, as he told Beckett after the last time they met. In fact, both times they met had been in less than pleasant circumstances that gave them no real connection. This was then a mere formality – the marking of a stranger passing out of the world. But a void had also formed in his soul, one now that would never be filled.

Martha quietly dabbed her eyes and squeezed her grand-daughter's hand gently. Hunt may have been a one night stand, but there had been a possibility of it becoming more…if he hadn't been a spy. Yeah, she always knew how to pick men…

Alexis returned the squeeze and frowned slightly. She had never met the man, but his appearance in her life had forever altered the sense of security she had always felt. After several weeks of therapy, she knew she'd never go back to the innocence she had before that, and that would always pain her father.

After Castle told her about Paris, Beckett felt both anger at the man for having caused the problem in the first place and then gratitude that he had helped Castle get Alexis back. Then when she had met him in person, that anger came back full force. He had used to son to complete his mission, once again putting his life in danger. And now, because of something that never could have been imagined, Castle's life – hell – all of their lives – could be in danger and the man was now dead and unable to help. But she was here to support Castle and held onto his hand as tightly as he gripped hers.

"If anyone would like to say anything at this time?" the chaplain asked.

Castle looked at the name plate and shook his head, words failing him.

Anders cleared his throat. "I'd just like to say that the US government is grateful for your service and sacrifice."

The chaplain nodded. "Thank you all for coming," he said, concluding the ceremony.

Althea stepped towards Castle and put a hand on his shoulder. "Rick," she said softly. "I have something for you in the car."

Castle nodded and then quickly kissed Beckett as he let go of her hand. "I'll be back in a minute," he said quietly.

Beckett nodded and walked with Martha and Alexis to the town car that awaited them.

Althea, Anders, and Castle walked over to the other town car and the trunk popped open as they approached.

Althea pulled out a small worn briefcase. "These are your father's personal effects. We thought you would like to have them."

Castle nodded as he took the briefcase and swallowed thickly, amazed that one man's life could be condensed to so little. "Thanks."

He started to go and then turned back, pausing for a moment. "She's dead, isn't she? Sophia, that is."

Anders nodded in affirmation. "You were there."

Castle frowned. "Yeah, but I've learned that can be faked." He paused for a moment before looking at them sadly. "Were you ever going to tell me or just let this Sword of Damocles hang over my head forever, hoping that nothing would happen?"

"Rick, I _**am**_ sorry for everything," Althea said softly. "Now that we know the situation exists, we have taken measures to prevent future occurrences."

Castle frowned. "But that doesn't mean they won't." He straightened and smiled slightly. "Then again, as my mother once said, there are no guarantees in life."

Althea smiled back. "You know how to reach us," she said, kissing his cheek and giving him a hug.

Castle nodded, and then turned and walked towards his family.

# # # # # # # #

Althea and Anders waited until the town car with Castle's family drove off before getting in their car.

"So how'd it go?" whispered Hunt, his voice gravelly.

"The usual," replied Althea. "Lots of tears and tearing of clothes."

Hunt nodded. "Good – I was afraid they were going to miss me."

Althea paused as she regarded the man. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Hunt nodded again. "I can't help Richard like this and I've made too many enemies. It's time to disappear forever."

Althea nodded. "I'll start the process."

Hunt shifted in the seat, keeping his face passive as he tried to find a comfortable position.

For just a nano-second, he had lost his focus when he had seen the pictures of Richard in his target's room, and that one blink of the eye had cost him dearly. He hadn't been killed by the bomb, just injured enough to make him a liability at this point, possibly forever.

As much as it would pain him not to see Richard, Martha, and Alexis again, even at a discreet distance, he knew that they would be better off if the world thought he was dead. He was sure that this information had already spread like wildfire through the ghost network – one of the greats was dead, long live the ghosts.

Now it would be up to the younger, more able assets to sort out this mess he had inadvertently gotten Richard into when he had opened the door for him to observe the CIA. He almost wished now that he hadn't.

# # # # # # # # #

While Beckett changed, Castle sat the briefcase down on his desk and studied it without opening it.

He was so unaware that he didn't hear the door snick open and Beckett walk into his office.

"A penny for your thoughts," she whispered in his ear as she snaked her arms around him from behind.

Castle leaned back into her arms and frowned slightly. "I'm not sure I was thinking at all – or maybe I was thinking too much."

Beckett released him and perched on the side of his desk, her hand resting near the briefcase, giving him time to organize his thoughts.

"I know that 'naked I come into the world, naked I leave,' but is this all we are – just a briefcase at the end?" Castle asked rhetorically.

"What I know," said Beckett, reaching forward to loosen his tie, "is that you are much more than just your material possessions. It's what you've done between the beginning and the end that matters, and you, Richard Castle, are a good and honorable man."

Castle smiled at her and pulled her into his lap. "What did I do to deserve to have such a wise woman in my life?"

Beckett smiled back and came willingly, putting her arms around him. "Just must be your incredible luck."

Castle nodded and buried his face in her hair. "Kate," he said finally, "my flight or fight instincts tell me to run – to get away from you – from mother and Alexis – to keep you safe."

"No," said Beckett firmly, cupping his face in her hands, locking eyes with him. "You promised never again and I'm holding you to that. Okay?"

Castle closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. "Okay," he said finally.

Beckett kissed him softly and then looked at the briefcase. "So what are you going to do with that?"

"I don't know," Castle said and then looked at it in silence for several moments. "I think I'll just let it sit there for a while."

"Okay," said Beckett as she settled back against him as he wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head.

This was right, Castle thought. This was family and this was where he wanted to be.

# # # # # # # # #

The End of Part 1


	12. Chapter 12 Uncle Armie

**A Convergence of Storms**

Summary – 2nd part of A Convergence of Storms. Someone from Castle's past is murdered and that gives Kate a chance to look into his unconventional childhood, something that hasn't been discussed on the show. AU of course, with some grounding in canon.

Author's Notes – Sorry to all of you who were following A Convergence of Storms Part 2. I've combined them into one story because it's easier for me to keep track of. I did save all the reviews though – thanks so much.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. I am reading the spoilers though.

**Chapter 12 – Uncle Armie**

# # # # # # # # #

Beckett chose to make an early start of the day, slipping out of bed quietly so that Castle could sleep a little longer. She watched him for a moment, smiling. Even though the circumstances could be considered dire, he no longer had those tight worry lines around his eyes that had plagued him since the crash. They now had something they could fight against together.

They had stayed up fairly late, just talking for once, about what had happened and what to do about it.

They knew that the CIA was in place, discreetly monitoring the situation and prepared to take whatever action was deemed necessary.

After much debate, they both decided not to tell the rest of the team and Martha and Alexis about what was happening, reserving that for when it might become necessary and praying that it never did.

She kissed his forehead lightly and watched him stir slightly and then fall back into a contented sleep before she left the room.

# # # # # # # # #

Espo and Ryan were already at the precinct when she walked in, passing looks between themselves as she sat down at her desk.

"What – no Castle?" commented Ryan off-handedly. It hurt both of them to think that Mom and Dad were up to something again and not including them.

"Yeah, is he at some meeting today – you know, the kind you can't tell us about – like the one you went to yesterday with only a quick 'won't be in today' call?" Espo baited.

Beckett smirked at them. "What if he's tied up at home and he'll be in once he figures out how to get untied?" she asked innocently.

They both looked at her and shuddered and then turned back to their desks with a "Ewww."

"So what do we have on our vic?" Beckett asked, looking at the paperwork on her desk, and then at the murder board.

The only pictures on it were of the victim lying in the alley and the alley itself.

"His fingerprints aren't in the system and his wallet wasn't found," said Ryan.

"And there aren't any missing persons reports for a man his age and ethnicity," said Espo.

"Did any of the cameras in the area show anything?" Beckett asked.

Ryan nodded. "A dark color sedan pulled into the alley about 2 am the morning that the body was found. However, it was reported stolen several days before that. They found it yesterday, which you would have known if you had been here, but it was wiped clean and there was no blood residue found in it."

"No one in the area recognized him either," said Espo.

"Okay," said Beckett, studying the picture, already hating this case.

The man was of Eastern European descent, mid'70's, his gray frizzy hair cut short, bushy mustache under his prominent hook nose. He was missing his little finger from the first knuckle up on his left hand and had several scars from repeated TB vaccinations on his biceps. A long scar ran down the right side of his abdomen, indicating some sort of surgery – probably an appendectomy – when he was younger.

She continued to study the board, planning her next move, when the elevator opened and Castle walked out, smiling, almost back to his normal self.

"Huh," said Ryan under his breath as he glanced up. "You must not have tied the knots that tight."

"Good morning," Castle said as he placed Beckett's coffee on her desk.

"Yeah, whatever," said Espo as he turned back to his desk also.

Castle frowned at them and then sat down in his chair. "So what do we ha—" he started and then stopped, his mouth hanging open slightly as he stared at the picture.

He hadn't seen the man in a number of years, but he was almost sure that was Uncle Armie, one of stage hands who had babysat him for a while during the 3rd grade. There was only one way to tell…

"Kate, is the victim missing the top part of his left little finger?" Castle asked, looking at Beckett and then back at the picture.

"Yes," she said, looking at him in return. "Castle, do you know him?"

Her comment caught Ryan's and Espo's attention and they turned towards him.

Castle stood and walked closer to the board, studying the picture. "A long scar about here?" he asked, pointing to a spot on his abdomen.

Beckett nodded again. "Yes."

Castle frowned. "I think that's Uncle Armie – uh – Armen…" he struggled for a minute to remember the man's last name. "Tartian – no, Tavitian," he finally said.

Beckett stood up and walked to stand beside him. "Do you know him?"

Castle nodded. "Yeah, he worked as an assistant pianist on some of the shows my mother did back in the 80's. When he was younger, he was an up and coming classical pianist, but lost his finger in an accident in his early 20's, and never quite recovered from that."

He moved closer to examine the picture. "He used to babysit me on occasion when I was 8, but it's been at least 25 years since I've seen him. The last time was when he came to the party that mother gave me for my high school graduation."

"Got it," said Espo. "Armen Tavitian. He doesn't have a driver's license, but does have a NDID."

"No, but that didn't stop him from driving when he could borrow someone's car," said Castle, smiling a little.

"Last known address is the Blackstone Apartments, 3501 94th in Jackson Heights. He does have a sister in the Queens," said Ryan. "Nataly Davidson."

"Aunt Natie," said Castle suddenly. "I haven't thought about them in years." He stared back at the picture. "Wow."

"You okay?" Beckett asked, putting a hand on his arm.

Castle nodded. "Yeah, just makes you realize how easy it is to lose touch with people you used to know."

Beckett nodded and then turned to the boys. "Ryan, Espo – road trip."

# # # # # # # #

The Blackstone Apartments were a 6-story walk-up, well past their prime, that housed a variety of tenants who looked like they had seen better days.

Beckett knocked on the door labeled Super and waited as a voice inside yelled, "Coming. Just a minute."

A balding man in a white shirt and jeans opened the door. "Yes, may I help you?"

"I'm Detective Beckett," she said, holding up her badge. "And these are Detectives Ryan and Esposito, and Richard Castle."

Beckett pulled a photograph out of her folio. "This is Armen Tavitian. Does he live here?"

The man pushed his reading glasses up on his nose. "Yeah, Armie. He stays here. Why?"

"Because he was murdered several days ago," said Beckett.

"Armie – dead? Wow, I just saw him – uh – last week." He handed the photograph back. "Armie had just done a job – he worked as a piano tuner. Couldn't see worth crap but his ears still worked. He said they called him back out to tune for more pianos. He thought he'd be gone at least a week."

"May we see his apartment?" Espo asked.

"Sure. I'll get the keys." The super returned quickly with the keys and led them up the narrow stairwell to the 2nd floor.

Armie's apartment was small, 2 bedrooms, a tiny kitchen in the corner. The walls were covered with pictures of the people Armie had worked with on Broadway.

Castle smiled as he looked at the pictures. He had spent a lot of time in those theaters, watching rehearsals, being a go-fer, trying to stay out of trouble but not succeeding most of the time.

"Wow," said Ryan, thoroughly impressed. "He must have really gotten around."

"Yeah – if you needed anything, Armie could get it – the man knew someone for anything," said Castle. "He played for rehearsals, ran lines, fixed sets, dressed the actors. Of course, it didn't pay very well so he was always working odd jobs to make ends meet."

Castle studied the photographs as Beckett walked into the other room and then quietly walked over to Espo and Ryan.

"Listen," he said in a low voice. "If you find any – uh – objectionable photos that look like they have me in them, I would appreciate it if you didn't point them out to Beckett."

Espo stared at him, worried. "Castle, man, did he—"

"No, no," Castle said quickly, cutting him off. "It's just that sometimes we didn't go straight home from visiting my mother at the theater and—"

Now it was his turn to be cut off as Beckett walked out of the bedroom, holding several photographs in her hands and frowned at him. "Castle, is this you in the 3rd grade?" she asked, turning one of the pictures toward him. "And are you in a bar drinking a beer?"

"And there is the objectionable photo," Castle said before turning to face Beckett, his face a study of innocence.

"Busted, bro," mouthed Espo.

"Are you sure you two aren't secretly married?" commented Ryan.

"Uh, I can explain?" offered Castle uncertainly.

# # # # # # # # #


	13. Ch 13 The End of My Short Stage Career

**A Convergence of Storms **

Summary – 2nd part of A Convergence of Storms. Someone from Castle's past is murdered and that gives Kate a look into his unconventional childhood, something that hasn't been discussed on the show. AU of course, with some grounding in canon and tie-ins to A Convergence of Storms – Part 1.

Author's Notes – Nope, they aren't married yet. And I have a crush on James Brolin so I didn't kill him off, but he won't return in the story. All OCs came out of my imagination.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. I am reading the spoilers though.

**Chapter 13 – The End of My Short Stage Career**

# # # # # # # # #

Castle paused for a moment and then chose to take a different tactic. "People," he reprimanded, "this poor man has been murdered. Let's pay him a little respect by staying focused and finding his killer.

The team stared back at him with the 'Really – you're playing that card' look and Castle eventually capitulated. "Okay, fine – dinner tonight at the loft. I'll tell you everything then. And yes, you can bring Lanie and Jenny," he said looking at Ryan and Espo. "I wouldn't want you to get the facts wrong when you tell them."

He raised his eyebrows at them. "Now can we get back to the investigation? The trail is getting colder by the minute."

"Uh, huh," Beckett hummed as she put the picture inside an evidence bag and then turned to Ryan and Espo. "Get CSU over here and sweep the place. Let's see if we can turn up anything about his last job. Castle and I'll head back to the precinct and meet with his sister."

# # # # # # # #

Aunt Natie was the kind of aunt that all kids wanted growing up. She was good-natured, an easy smile lit up her round face, her dark eyes twinkled with laughter, and she smelled of cinnamon spice from the hours she spent in the kitchen baking for her neighbors.

Now that twinkle was dimmed slightly as she sat with Castle and Beckett in the conference room at the precinct. She dabbed her eyes with a lace handkerchief in one hand while the other hand clutched one of Castle's.

"I can't believe he's gone," she said, voice hitching slightly. "He didn't see so well anymore and I told him to be careful – not everyone is kind, but that never stopped him," she said, shaking her head.

"Mrs. Davidson—" Beckett started.

"Sweetie, everyone calls me 'Aunt Natie'," the woman interrupted with a slight smile.

"Aunt Natie," Beckett started over. "Do you know if Mr. Tavitian had any enemies – someone who would want to kill him?"

"No, no one," said Aunt Natie, shaking her head. "Everyone liked Armie. He was always helping someone, giving them a handout when he could."

"Aunt Natie," said Castle, "the super where Uncle Armie lived said that he had a job recently – tuning pianos. Do you know anything about that?"

"Yes, yes," she said as she picked up her oversized purse and rifled through it, finally pulling out a piece of paper. "He was tuning a piano for this man," she said, handing the note to Beckett. "And when I saw him for dinner the other day, he said they had asked him to come out again – they had more pianos for him to tune. They paid really well."

"Thank you," said Beckett, taking the note. She handed the woman a card. "Aunt Natie, please call me if you think of anything else. I'll have a car take you home."

"Thank you, dear – I will," Aunt Natie nodded, wiping her eyes again. "It's so hard to believe that he's gone. We were going to have lunch tomorrow."

Castle squeezed her hand gently. "Aunt Natie, please call me if you need anything."

"Thank you – that's very sweet of you, Ricky." She paused for a moment and smiled tentatively at him. "There is one thing that I know he would have liked – would you give the eulogy at his service?"

Castle smiled back slightly. "I'd be honored to."

Aunt Natie stood with a sigh and gave Castle a quick hug. "Thank you, hokees eemeen," she said, pinching his cheek.

Beckett watched as she walked away and then turned to Castle. "The soul of me?" she asked.

Castle nodded, making a slight face and rubbing his cheek where she had pinched him. "She never had any children, so she adopted a lot of us along the way. But at least she's quit spitting on me for good luck."

# # # # # # # #

Later that evening, Martha walked into the loft with several sacks in tow as Beckett emerged from the bedroom, now dressed in casual clothes. Castle was busy in the kitchen fixing dinner, the sleeves on his button down rolled up to his elbows.

"Oh, you're making your fabulous pasta Carbonara," Martha said as she sniffed the air. "Are we expecting company?"

She dropped the sacks on the couch and then walked over to give Beckett a quick hug. "Hello, Kate dear," she said, greeting her should-have-already-been-and-was-already-in-her-mind daughter-in-law.

"Martha," Beckett smiled, returning the hug.

"Uh, yeah," said Castle, stopping for a moment and pouring a glass of wine for Martha. "The team is coming for dinner."

"What's the occasion?" Martha asked, noting his seriousness. She walked over and took the glass from him.

"Uh, yeah," said Castle, frowning slightly and then pausing before saying, "Uncle Armie is dead."

Martha took a sip from her glass. "May he rot in hell," she said somewhat vehemently.

"He was murdered," continued Castle.

"God rest his soul," Martha said, lifting her wine glass in a toast before taking another sip. "So they must have found the pictures at his place." She regarded her son. "Are you going to tell them before dinner or during? I'm thinking before might be better – you really don't want them choking on their food."

# # # # # # # # #

Epso and Lanie arrived a few minutes after Ryan and Jenny had, and soon the group was seated in the living room, drinks in hand, the bread baking in the oven and filling the loft with a delightful aroma.

Castle pulled a photograph album out of the bookcase, turned to one of the pages, and then handed it to Beckett, whose eyes grew wider as she looked at the pictures. "Castle, is this you?" she asked, looking at him curiously.

"Yeah, bro – spill," said Espo as Beckett handed him the album.

"Yeah, Castle – why do you have a picture of you in a bar drinking a beer?" asked Ryan.

Jenny looked at Ryan. "Kev, what's wrong with that? He _is_ a famous author."

"Thank you," said Castle, nodding at her. "But I was 8 at the time. Apparently not very appropriate or legal," he said, looking at Beckett, who tried not to choke on her wine.

Castle sat back and looked at his mother, giving her permission to start.

"Well, I knew Armen from the theater," Martha began. "He was the assistant pianist when I was the lead in 'Annie, Get Your Gun' in an off-off-Broadway revival when Richard was in 3rd grade. Armen worked during the day and was available in the evenings, so it seemed like a good idea at the time to have him watch Richard while I was working. And he worked for fairly cheap, but you get what you pay for," she said, taking a sip of her wine.

"In the afternoon, Richard would come to the theater after school and do his homework while he waited for Armen to finish. Then they were supposed to go home, but it seems they were making an unscheduled stop along the way."

Castle shrugged and made a face. "Well, I was in bed by the time you got home. Anyway, Christmas was coming and I wanted to buy you a gift. I found a really nice bracelet, but money was tight. So one day, I showed Uncle Armie the picture, and he let me do a few chores to earn some money.

"But the bracelet cost a lot more than I had managed to save, so I asked Uncle Armie if there was something else I could do to earn more money." Castle leaned forward slightly. "He said he might have something, but he needed to check with a friend first. So with Uncle Armie's help, I got my first paying job," Castle said proudly.

"Working at a bar?" asked Beckett. "As what? The youngest bus boy in the world?"

"Isn't that illegal?" asked Espo.

"Probably, but no, I had a better paying job," said Castle cryptically.

"Well, Christmas came around and Richard presented me with this lovely bracelet," said Martha. "I was thrilled, but concerned, and asked where he had gotten the money. He told me that Armen was letting him help him and I didn't think much of it at the time. We had finally gotten paid and everyone went a little giddy with the spirit of the season.

"About a month later, I started getting notes from Richard's teachers that he seemed inattentive – falling asleep in class, wearing wrinkled clothes. I asked him if he was staying up too late when they got home and he said no, he wasn't, which could be considered somewhat truthful." Martha took another sip from her glass. "What I didn't know was that they were only getting home about 30 minutes before I was and Richard was jumping into bed with his clothes on. Of course, he was sounded asleep by the time I got home."

Castle shrugged. "Well, it was only 2 school nights, so it didn't seem so bad at the time."

"Uh, huh," said Martha, nodding at him. "Anyway, a couple of weeks after the musical started, a pipe burst during the first scene and we had to evacuate the theater. We didn't even have time to change clothes. The director said he would buy the cast and crew drinks so we went to a piano bar a couple of blocks from the theater. Imagine my surprise when I saw Armen playing the piano when he should have been home with Richard. But I knew Natie so I thought she was watching him that night so Armen could pick up a little extra money.

"Armen played several songs and then paused and introduced his stage partner, an up-and-coming singer, Little Ricky. And to my utter amazement, my 8 year old son walked out on stage wearing a gold tux that Natie had made him and started to belt out Broadway hits."

"Much to the delight of the crowd, I might add," said Castle.

"You were singing at a bar?" Lanie said incredulously, trying not to laugh. "At 8 years old? And your mother didn't know?"

"In her defense, I did tell her that I was helping Uncle Armie, just not the details, and it was what she did, so I didn't see anything wrong with it at the time," Castle said, making an innocent shocked face. "And it paid really well – I got all of the shiny coins in the tip jar."

Ryan snorted in his drink, trying to contain his laughter.

"Anyway," said Castle, "since Mother was in musicals, I knew all the songs and I was about to sing 'Tomorrow' when I heard this booming voice coming from the darkness, saying…" he looked at Martha who responded, "Richard! Alexander! Rogers!" in her booming stage voice.

"I knew immediately that I probably wasn't going to have a tomorrow and one of two things was going to happen," Castle said. "I had either just heard the voice of god and I was going to be struck by lightning, or my mother was in the audience and I was about to face her wrath, and I think the lightning would have been preferable."

"So he put on this big radiant smile," said Martha, "and gave a little wave," which she demonstrated, "and said, 'Hi, Mom, look – I'm on stage just like you.'"

Beckett tried to bite back her laughter, but failed which set off the rest of the people in the room who howled in laughter.

After a few moments, Castle wiped his eyes and then continued. "Mother strode on stage in full cowgirl costume and make-up, with her rifle in her hand, and drug me off the stage by my ear." He rubbed his left ear. "And to this day, I think it's longer than the other one."

Martha smiled softly in memory. "Armen apologized, saying he was just trying to help Richard earn some money. I told Armen that this was very inappropriate and that his services were no longer needed."

"Yeah," said Castle with a dramatic sigh. "And then Nanny Ratched showed up the next Monday and my afternoons then consisted of watching her drink peppermint schnapps and watching soaps. So that was the end of my short stage career."

"Jezz, Castle," Beckett said, wiping her eyes. "Your childhood could be an ABC afternoon movie."

"Or a sit-com," laughed Ryan.

Espo smirked. "Well, it could have been a lot worse – I had a rap sheet by the time I was 11."

"Oh, trust me," said Martha. "They don't press charges in private school – they just cash the check and send you on your way."

The timer in the kitchen dinged.

"And that would be the rolls," said Castle, getting up from the couch.

Ryan helped Jenny up and looked at Castle in empathy. "Or you could have had older sisters who liked to experiment with eye makeup and made you be the guinea pig."

# # # # # # # #

Beckett studied Castle for a moment as they were cleaning up the kitchen after dinner.

"You were fairly quiet tonight after the big revelation," she asked as she dried one of the pots. "Is everything okay?"

Castle thought for a moment and shook his head as he rinsed out the sink. "It's nothing."

"No, it's something if it's got you thinking that hard," said Beckett, putting the pot up and then walking to Castle to put her arms around him.

Castle stopped what he was doing, his brow furrowing in thought. "It's just that looking at those pictures reminded me that I didn't have the most normal childhood," he said.

"Yeah, if that story is any indication," Beckett commented, still laughing slightly.

Castle leaned back against the counter. "Mother was in the theater and I didn't have a whole lot of rules growing up. There were times we didn't have a lot of money and times we did. We moved around a lot, kind of like gypsies, and she always made it an adventure. I knew that my life wasn't the same as other kids and that made me different."

Beckett smiled at him, resting her hand against his cheek. "But that's what made you the man you are today."

Castle nodded. "Don't get me wrong, mother was great and tried her best, but when I look at you, I see a normal childhood – 2 parents who were lawyers, which was definitely more socially acceptable no matter the jokes people tell, and probably the standard white picket fence house and rules."

Beckett made a face and shrugged slightly. "So?"

He frowned. "Well, it made me realize that we haven't had the talk yet."

Beckett looked at him in surprise. "The talk? Castle, you do know that I know where babies come from."

Castle shook his head. "No, the parenting talk." He took her hand in his. "When Alexis was little, Meredith wasn't around every much and I was a single parent. I didn't have to check with anyone else where she could go, what she could do, what she could wear, what she could eat."

"But then with Gina, one of the reasons we got divorced was that she said I didn't let her get involved with Alexis, even though I thought Alexis needed a stable mother figure in her life." Castle frowned. "And that was true. I wasn't good at sharing."

He looked Beckett in the eyes, shaking his head slightly. "And I don't want to make that same mistake, Kate, not with you."

Beckett smiled at him softly and gently kissed him. "When that time comes, we'll talk about things – we'll be in this together. And I think you did pretty well with Alexis."

"I was lucky – Alexis was the type of kid who pretty much raised herself," Castle replied and then frowned. "But what if we get someone like me, or even worse, someone like Espo?"

Beckett laughed gently. "Castle, we'll be okay – they'll be okay."

She paused. "But first, if you don't mind, I'd like to get married before we start thinking about kids. Can we do that?"

Castle smiled and pulled her closer, touching his forehead to hers. "Yeah, we can do that."

Beckett kissed him again. "But in the meantime, maybe you need to refresh my memory of where babies come from."

# # # # # # # #


	14. Chapter 14 The Sins of the Father

**A Convergence of Storms**

Summary – Someone from Castle's past is murdered and that gives Kate a look into his unconventional childhood and time spent shadowing the CIA, something that hasn't really been discussed on the show (yet). AU of course, with some grounding in canon.

Author's Notes – Hey, since I've now combined the 3 parts into 1, maybe I can make the 50,000 words for the Dog Days of Summer without Castle except for reruns, TNT, and the DVDs Ficathon 2014. Sorry for the confusion and the delay in updating – haven't had much time to write.

The singing story is actually a true story – it's how one of my friends became a singer, but he was 6 at the time his relative was taking him to bars. I'm not sure if his parents ever found out about the evening excursions though. And I was the big sister who put eye make-up on my little brother when my friends and I were putting the stuff on. He was about 5 and had these big brown Robert Downey Jr. eyes that just begged for blue eye shadow – didn't even have to sit on him to do it. It was like, "Hey, you want some too?" "Sure." Oh, the things older siblings do to younger siblings. And I still know nothing about New York so I'm just picking places from what I read on the internet. I did visit New York in 1979 (during the garbage strike – that was interesting) and did go up to the observation deck of the Empire State Building – fantastic view – and did go to the Statue of Liberty but didn't get to go up to the top.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. I am reading the spoilers though.

**Chapter 14 – The Sins of the Father**

# # # # # # # # #

While Castle was getting dressed the next morning, Beckett walked out of the bedroom and was surprised to find Martha up and making coffee, bright and chipper in spite of the late evening they had had the night before.

After Castle's revelation, they had each taken turns telling stories from their childhood, reminiscing and laughing about the 'good, old days'.

"Good morning, Kate," Martha said as she looked over at her. "May I pour you a cup?"

Beckett paused for a moment, wondering how to get out of this situation diplomatically, and decided that it was just best to the take the coffee and dump it later. "Sure," she shrugged.

Martha poured the coffee into a cup and handed it to Beckett.

"Martha, I was wondering," Beckett said, wrapping her hands around the mug. "About the story last night, was there a time when you thought about letting Castle becoming an actor? To follow in your footsteps?"

Martha thought a moment and then shook her head. "No, it's not a life for everyone," she said with a slight smile. "Oh, don't get me wrong – he had the looks and the talent and a fairly decent singing voice, but he never really had the passion." She took a breath. "When he was young, the directors occasionally gave him small parts in productions, but he was always so fascinated by how things worked and had to know everything – which is disruptive during rehearsals – that they eventually asked him to help with something else rather than being on stage." She smiled as she took a sip of coffee. "And that always seemed to satisfy him."

Fastening his cufflink, Castle walked out of the bedroom. "Morning, mother," he said, kissing her on the cheek. "My ears are burning – you must be discussing me."

"In spite of last night, Richard, the world does not always revolve around you," Martha said, smiling good naturedly at her son, accepting the kiss on the cheek. "Well, dears, I'm off to class. Have a good day."

With that, whirl-wind Martha was gone, leaving a lull in her wake.

"Sorry," said Castle, making a face as he took the mug from Beckett's hand and poured the coffee in it down the sink. "Do we have time for me to make some more?"

Beckett looked at her watch and shook her head. "No, we'll just have to pick some up on the way to the interview."

Mr. Leonid Melekov was the man who belonged to the phone number on the piece of paper that Aunt Natie had given them. He was distressed when he heard about Armen and agreed to squeeze them in between appointments at his house in a gated community on the North Shore of Long Island.

# # # # # # # # #

Mr. Melekov's house was the smallest in the subdivision, modestly appointed with a few works of medium-priced art on the walls, sparse furnishings in the rest of the rooms, almost like the unassuming man himself. He was in his early 70's, fairly trim, still in good health, a healthy head of gray hair cut short.

The focal point of the house, though, was the Bosendorfer Imperial grand piano that stood majestically in the living room, carefully positioned to not be in direct sunlight.

Melekov ran his hand lovingly over the keys as he walked past it. "I can't believe Mr. Tavitian is gone," he said, shaking his head sadly. "He was just here earlier this month, tuning this piano," he commented as he led Beckett and Castle into an adjoining sitting room.

"May I offer you something to drink?" he asked politely as they sat down.

Beckett shook her head. "No thank you, Mr. Melekov." She paused a moment. "His sister said that you called him to tune some more pianos a couple of days later?"

"Yes," nodded Melekov, in his slightly accented voice. "My passion is music and my business is buying and selling used pianos. My cousin passed away a couple of months ago and left me his pianos. They just arrived and were in desperate need of tuning. My cousin was somewhat of a ruffian and didn't tend to them well. Mr. Tavitian has…had a remarkable ear so I asked him to take the job."

"So when was the last time you saw Mr. Tavitian?" Castle asked.

Melekov thought for a moment. "Well, I only saw him when he was here tuning this piano. I arranged for a car service pick him up and take him to the warehouse where the other pianos are being stored."

"Do you have the address and the name of the car service that was used?" Beckett asked.

"Marlena made those arrangements and can get that information for you," Melekov responded, motioning to a woman who sat in the next room, quietly working but also keeping tabs on the interview.

She rose gracefully and walked quickly into the room.

"Ah, Marlena, please get the address of the warehouse where the pianos are and the name of the car service that took Mr. Tavitian there."

"Of course, Mr. Melekov," said the woman.

Melekov smiled as he watched Castle study a photograph in a leather frame, draped in black, on the table. The man in the picture was obviously sick, mortally so, shrunken, pale, a knitted cap covering his head, a sad smile on his face. The younger man beside him looked enough like Melekov to be a close relative, his long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"That was my cousin, Bogdan, and his son Alexi. That picture was taken a month before Bogdan passed away," Melekov said, shaking his head sadly. "He was not such a ruffian at the end." He paused. "It was good that he and Alexi had reconciled by then. Such a sad story, but the sins of the father are always reaped by the son."

He looked up as the woman walked back into the room, carrying a piece of paper. "Thank you, Marlena," he said, taking the paper and handing it to Beckett.

"How was Mr. Tavitian acting when he was here?" Beckett asked as she put the paper in her pocket. "Did he seem under any stress? Nervous?"

"No, quite the contrary, I would say. He was ecstatic," said Melekov. "It had been a while since he had played a Bosendorfer and he gave quite a concert after he finished tuning it. Such a talent…" he said, looking down.

"Do you mind if we take a look at the warehouse?" Beckett asked.

"No, not at all," Melekov said. "I'll call them to let them know you are coming. Marlena will give you a list of rules to be observed while at the facility. They are necessary to maintain the controlled environment and I would appreciate it if anyone entering the room follows them. The pianos can be very finicky if not handled properly."

Beckett stood and shrugged slightly. "Of course. Thank you for your time, Mr. Melekov," she said. "If you think of anything else, please call."

"Yes, I will," the man said, nodding. "Detective, Mr. Castle."

# # # # # # # # #

As they walked to the car, Castle looked back at the house and then at the piece of paper in his hand. "Wow, talk about overprotective. The way he talks about them, you'd think they were alive."

"To him, they might be. I didn't see any pictures of children in the house," Beckett replied.

"Good point," said Castle. He paused for a moment as he opened the car door and then slid into the passenger's seat. "Kate, am I this way with my stuff?"

Beckett rolled her eyes as she opened her door and slid into the driver's seat. "No, other than threatening to tar and feather Espo when he spilled beer on your Playstation."

"Point taken," nodded Castle as he read the list and snorted. "Limit 3 people in the room at any time – apparently having more people in there raises the room temperature and humidity level. Wear white cotton gloves – hmmm, maybe I should make that a rule. I think Ryan left some grease smudges the last time we played. No smoking, food, or drinks – no, that wouldn't work, although it was hard to get the beer out the controls."

Beckett smiled at him as she pulled out into traffic.

# # # # # # # # # #

Beckett watched Castle out of the corner of her eye as they drove back to the precinct. After reading the list, he was atypically quiet, as he had been several times since the almost wedding and kidnapping.

"A penny for your thoughts?" she finally asked, causing him to jump slightly. "Hmmm?"

Castle stared out the windshield for a moment longer before beginning hesitantly. "Even though I gave the big speech, I can't help thinking about everything that's happened lately." He took a breath. "Kate, do you think Melekov was right – that the universe punishes the sons for the sins of their fathers? Because my father has racked up quite a collection of them."

Castle almost got whiplash as Beckett quickly jerked the car towards an exit and then pulled off the freeway and parked in a safe spot.

After she turned off the car, she whirled to face him, her eyes wide, and poked him in the chest. "Richard Alexander Edgar Rogers Castle, that is the most insane and crazy thing I have ever heard you say. You are not your father." She leaned over to kiss him lightly on the lips. "You are a good, honorable man. And if that's what the universe is doing, then screw the universe."

Castle kissed her back. "Well, I was never a big believer in signs from the universe," he smirked.

Beckett huffed at him and then started the car again.

# # # # # # # # #

Ryan and Espo were just pulling into the parking garage at the same time Beckett and Castle were.

"So how did the interview go?" Espo asked.

"Got the address of the warehouse where Uncle Armie may have been last," Beckett replied as she handed them the piece of paper with the address. "They're expecting you," she said, looking at Espo and Ryan.

"Oh, and here," said Castle, fishing the list of rules out of his pocket. "You'll need this."

Ryan frowned slightly as he opened the piece of paper and quickly scanned it. "Uh, are we allowed to breath while in there?" he asked somewhat seriously.

"Just try not to sneeze," said Castle. "The pianos might catch cold."

His phone chirped, interrupting the conversation.

Castle fished it out of his pocket and read the text and then looked at Beckett. "That's – uh – my publisher – you know, for that afternoon meeting…"

Beckett nodded, pressing her lips together and frowning slightly. "See you at the loft tonight?" she asked, the question catching Espo's and Ryan's attention.

"Yeah," said Castle, also frowning and looking at the black town car waiting at the corner. He gave Beckett's hand a slight squeeze and then walked off.

"So what's the meeting about?" asked Espo.

Beckett swallowed and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear before quickly saying, "Contract negotiations."

"With his tail tucked between his legs?" Ryan asked, also frowning slightly. "That's the way he looks when Gates calls him into her office."

"Yeah," said Espo. "So exactly what contract is he 'negotiating'?"

Beckett cleared her throat at them. "A comedy about two male detectives who get busted back to patrol," she said to Espo. "Don't you have a date with piano?"

Espo snorted slightly and then nodded. "So when are you going to tell us what's going on?"

Beckett looked at them innocently and shook her head slightly. "Nothing's going on."

"Uh, huh," said Espo, looking at Ryan.

# # # # # # # # #


	15. Chapter 15 For Your Eyes Only, Maybe Not

**A Convergence of Storms**

Summary – Someone from Castle's past is murdered and that gives Kate a look into his unconventional childhood and time spent shadowing the CIA, something that hasn't really been discussed on the show (yet). AU of course, with some grounding in canon.

Author's Notes – Sorry for the delay in updating. I thought I was going to be able to write last weekend, but it got crazy fairly quickly – a good kind of crazy, but still crazy.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. The OCs came out of my imagination.

**Chapter 15 – For Your Eyes Only, Maybe Not…**

# # # # # # # # #

Castle walked resolutely towards the waiting car, dreading the meeting, but also anxious to finally have some of the pieces he so desperately needed to figure out this puzzle that threatened to overwhelm his life.

Althea had arranged for him to see the redacted reports that Turner had fed him and had some other 'interesting' information to share with him about the woman he once considered a friend.

And she had made it was clear that he should come alone. Beckett's security clearance had been revoked when she was fired from the AG office and the consensus was that it would take too long to reactivate.

Castle's curiosity was immediately piqued because, as far as he knew, he didn't have security clearance anymore and nothing had changed in Beckett's history that would warrant a new investigation – her marriage to O'Leary had been faked, so there was no ex-husband to interview.

Did the Company have an ulterior motive for the meeting or were they going to leave it up to him to tell Beckett what they discussed? After 'working' with his father, he wasn't so sure anymore.

The man in the suit standing next to the car opened the back door for him.

"What – no black bag over the head," Castle quipped as he slid into the back seat, smiling slightly at Althea.

"No, we're more civilized than that," said Althea, handing him a wrap-around visor. "I thought you'd be interested in testing one of our new toys."

Castle examined the visor and then put it on. "Wow," he said as it lit up, displaying a 3-d view of a city park in front of him that he felt he could almost touch if he just reached his hands out like so…

"It's connected to a robot in Central Park," Althea said. "You can control its movements using your eyes."

"This is so cool," Castle said, moving his eyes and watching how the robot responded. "I don't suppose they'll be selling these commercially?" he asked hopefully.

"No, but you can always book a play date if you get bored," said Althea, watching Castle with a smile as he ran the robot through its paces.

Whatever else Castle was, he was good at playing with toys, pushing the limits to see what they could do, much to the dismay of some of the Company engineers.

# # # # # # # # #

The trip seemed to take no time at all for Castle, distracted as he was with moving the robot to and fro in the park and observing what happened. When Althea touched his arm, he reluctantly handed the visor back to her and then followed her to a waiting elevator.

Anders was waiting for them in a conference room. "So how did you like Robby the Robot?" he asked as Castle sat down in a chair.

"It's definitely going on my Christmas list," Castle said. He then swallowed thickly and frowned slightly, looking at the thin folder in front of Althea. "Can we just get this over with?"

Althea nodded, pushing the folder in front of Castle. "These are the reports that Turner flagged for you to read and redact."

Castle flipped the folder open and thumbed through pages and pages of mostly black marks. That was really helpful, he thought to himself.

"So why did she have me read them? Why didn't she just read them herself?" he asked finally.

"The reports had nothing to do with any of the cases she was working," Althea said. "Since they're carefully monitored, she would have called attention to herself if she had requested them."

Castle frowned again. "Then how did she get them to me?"

"Indirectly," said Anders. "My signature was forged on the requests, so the reports were added to the ones you were authorized to read. She never had physical possession of the reports."

"How do you know she did this? What if it was someone else?" Castle asked anxiously.

"After we found out about Turner, we managed to track down through certain channels who she was and where she had come from – Denisa Albescu from Romania. Her parents lived in Botosani, but passed away several years ago. Her father worked on a drilling rig in Siberia and her mother was a school teacher. They lost contact with her when she was 18 and moved to Moscow to attend college. There is no record of her coming to the United States," said Althea.

"And she wasn't a KGB agent," continued Anders. "They've never heard of her."

"Uh, you talk to them?" Castle asked incredulously. "Oh," he said as Althea quirked an eye brow at him. "Of course you don't talk to them directly." He paused for a moment. "So how did you _**not**_ know that she was a fake – how did she get by security?"

Anders pursed his lips for a minute and then started. "Turner's American identity was carefully constructed. Her birth certificate was an excellent fake and the social security number had never been used. The parents listed on the birth certificate were anthropologists who traveled extensively. They died when she was 18, so she was never in the foster system. They were only children whose parents had already died, so there were no relatives to contact. The school records were from private schools that cater to students who aren't able to attend structured classes. From what we can tell, the real paper trail for Turner begins when she entered college – Harvard to be exact."

"That's a big chunk of change," said Castle, frowning slightly. "Have you been able to track who paid for that?"

Althea shook her head. "No. She received grants and scholarships that paid for her education. She even took the normal amount of time to pay off her student loans. We are looking into those repayments though for a paper trail."

Castle nodded. "If she wasn't KGB, who was she working for then?" He paused for a moment and then looked at Althea. "Were they the same people who tried to pull off Pandora?"

"No, we don't think so," said Althea, shaking her head.

She brought up a map of Central Europe on the computer screen. "We were able to ascertain that these reports pertained to research being done about the looting that the Russians did at the end of WWII, particularly in Romania, Hungary, and Serbia. About the time you started shadowing the Company, a couple of pieces from Romania were sold on the black market to a museum in Spain. The funds were deposited into an account that had been opened at the end of WWII at a private bank in Switzerland. We are going through channels to determine the owners of that account."

Castle took a breath. "So what do you think was in the reports?"

"The names of the people who owned the accounts and the number of a safety deposit box," Anders said simply.

Castle frowned again. "Don't you have to have the key to access a safety deposit box?"

"Yes," said Althea. She touched an icon on the computer screen and a video window popped up. "The bank was able to find this footage of a transaction made during the time you were missing in Argentina."

Castle leaned slightly forward as the video started. "Doesn't look like she had a sprained ankle after all," he commented drily.

The woman in the video was clearly Sophia Turner. She hadn't done much to disguise herself other than wear a big hat and sunglasses.

Castle watched her sign in and pull out a key with a sinking feeling. "I guess I told them what they needed to know," he said flatly. "So I'm not Jack Bauer after all." He shrugged and sat back in his chair, running a hand through his hair.

"Rick, they were professionals and I think you probably held out as long as you could. If it's any consolation, this was taken four days after you went missing," Althea soothed.

"Wait," Castle said suddenly, sitting up straighter. "If she had the key and could get into the safety deposit box, why did she come back? Why didn't she just take whatever was in there and disappear?"

"That's the interesting part," said Althea, fast forwarding the tape to several minutes later. "She goes in, is in there for a few minutes, and then comes out."

Castle leaned back slightly away from the screen as he watched Turner storm out of the safety deposit box area. "Oh, that is definitely not her happy face," he commented. He had been on the receiving end of that look on the trip they had taken to Argentina and had done his best to avoid it after that.

But the interesting thing was that she wasn't carrying anything else other than a small purse. "So whatever she was looking for wasn't in there," he said, somewhat confused.

Althea shook her head. "No, obviously it wasn't."

"So I gave them the information in the report, but whatever she was looking for it wasn't there." Castle sat back in his chair, brow furrowing in thought, before he looked up again. "Is that why they want me? They think I know something?"

Anders looked at Castle. "That's precisely what we intend to find out."

# # # # # # # # #

It was nearly 5 the next morning before Castle drug himself back inside the loft, barely able to make it to the couch before collapsing on it, exhaustion hitting him full force. He was so tired he wasn't even hungry even though he hadn't eaten anything since the morning before.

When they hit the 6th hour of non-stop questioning, he had finally realized why they didn't want Beckett there. The sessions had been grueling and almost amounted to an interrogation that stopped short of violating the Geneva Convention in his opinion.

He had spent hours recounting over and over again in minute detail the time he had spent shadowing the CIA as they analyzed every aspect of it. Nothing was left out, much to his semi-embarrassment – his relationship with Turner, his visits to the office, the reports he had read, the two trips to Argentina, what he had said that morning to Adelmo before the man was killed, if he remembered anything after that…

It wasn't like he was trying to hide anything, but he just didn't know what they wanted and that frustrated him immensely. He could have the key to solving this whole thing, but he didn't know what it was.

Anders was hoping to shake something loose with all the questioning – light some spark of remembrance – but all that came of the meeting was a pounding headache that Castle developed around 1 am.

By 4 am, they were no closer to any answers than they had been when Castle had walked into the room the afternoon before and Althea finally called a halt to the sessions. She handed Castle a couple of aspirin and a bottle of water to wash them down with as he walked out of the room.

"Call us if you remember anything," she said, placing a gently hand on his arm.

He was so tired, he didn't even put on the visor when he entered the town car waiting to take him home and simply laid his head back against the head rest and closed his eyes. "If I see anything I shouldn't," he quipped to the driver, "just shoot me and dump my body on the side of the road."

# # # # # # # # #

Beckett woke quickly at the sound of the front door opening and closing and walked out into the living room to find Castle sprawled on the couch already asleep, his cuffs unbuttoned and rolled up past his elbows like he had been hard at work. His coat lay in a heap by the front door where he had dropped it.

She frowned as she smoothed the hair back from his forehead. His face was drawn again, dark smudged under his eyes, and a 5 o-clock shadow on his chin.

She had gotten several texts from Althea during the evening that said everything was fine but it was taking longer than originally planned for them to review the reports and to not expect Castle until the next morning. They would be working through the night.

Beckett knelt beside him and gently removed his shoes before covering him with a throw.

"Save yourself, Kate. The spider has a marker," Castle murmured in his sleep before settling back down.

Beckett kissed him on the cheek and went to get ready for work.

# # # # # # # # # #


	16. Chapter 16 Decisions

**A Convergence of Storms**

Summary – Someone from Castle's past is murdered and that gives Kate a look into his unconventional childhood and time spent shadowing the CIA, something that hasn't really been discussed on the show (yet). AU of course, with some grounding in canon.

Author's Notes – Still waiting to see what Amann, etc., are going to do. Definitely not what I'm doing.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. The OCs came out of my imagination.

**Chapter 16 – Decisions**

# # # # # # # # #

Beckett had just arrived home from work when Castle came stumbling out of the bedroom, now dressed in a rumpled t-shirt and boxers, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hands, his hair sticking out at odd angles.

He stood at the bedroom door for a minute and stared at Beckett uncomprehendingly. "Uh – are you just leaving or getting back from work?" he finally managed.

"Just getting home," Beckett replied as she put her purse down and walked over to give him a quick hug and kiss.

"Huh," was his only response as he kissed her back, stifling a yawn in the process.

He blinked several more times, trying to get his eyes to focus. Strange, he didn't remember drinking last night – or had it been the night before – but he sure felt like he had a hangover.

"Are you hungry?" Beckett asked, walking into his office and depositing her gun and badge into the safe. "I can fix us something to eat."

"Uh, yeah – okay," Castle said as he walked over to the refrigerator and opened it, staring inside at the contents as if something was going to magically appear in his waiting hand.

"This what you're looking for?" Beckett asked, walking back into the room and handing him a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

"Thanks," said Castle, opening the bottle and drinking about half of it in one gulp, and then pressing the bottle against his forehead with a sigh.

He then sat down at the dining table and laid his head on it, closing his eyes again. The coolness felt good against his forehead.

"How about a sandwich?" Beckett asked.

"Uh, huh," came the muffled reply.

Beckett smiled as she quickly prepared the sandwiches and then placed one on a plate and slid it next to Castle's head.

Castle groaned as he sat up and stretched, trying to work some of the kinks out of his neck and shoulders.

"So how was the meeting?" she asked curiously. "Althea texted several times that it was taking longer than expected."

Castle thought as he chewed a bite of his sandwich and then swallowed before taking another sip of water. "I'm pretty sure that the prisoners at Gitmo are treated more humanely. You'd think I was withholding the secret to cold fusion by the way they acted," he said in almost disgust.

He let out a frustrated sigh and shook his head, pushing the plate away. "I don't know who they are or what they want. I just draw a blank anytime I think about it."

"So nothing was resolved?" Beckett asked gently.

"No, not really," Castle replied, frowning. "They don't know who Sophia Turner was, other than she's not KGB, so they have no clue who she was working for – who's behind this whole thing.

"But she is from Romania – her name is Denisa Albescu – and the first real documentation they have for her is when she attended Harvard. Which costs a chunk of change but the records show that she paid for it, so that's a dead end."

He stood and started to pace.

"And apparently I'm not good at keeping secrets because, during the 'primary incident'," he said, making air quotes, "as they call what happened on second trip to Argentina, whoever it was got the information they wanted, only it wasn't the right information or whatever they were looking for wasn't where it was supposed to be."

He ran a hand through his hair. "So they've just been waiting all this time until something happened to my father and now think it's safe to come after me."

Castle flopped down on the couch and leaned his head back, closing his eyes wearily. "I just don't know how to fix this," he said finally.

Beckett patiently listened to his rant and then sat down beside him on the couch, taking his hand in hers. "Babe, whatever this is, we'll get through it together."

Castle straightened up to look at her and started to say something when she put her finger on his lips.

"Together," Beckett said insistently. "I won't leave you – you're not leaving me – no matter what."

Castle smiled sadly and nodded. "Always."

He gathered her into his arms. "I think we need to tell Gates and the boys what's going on."

Beckett nodded. "We can do that first thing tomorrow, but now," she said, getting up and pulling on his hand, "I think you could use a hot relaxing shower and a bedtime story."

Castle let Beckett pull him up off the couch. "As long as you don't read a James Patterson novel," he said as they walked towards the bedroom.

"I was thinking something more along the lines of the latest Nikki Heat book," Beckett replied with a sly smile.

# # # # # # # # # #

Gates was surprised to get the text from Beckett that said she and Castle needed to meet with the team in the morning. She was even more surprised when she got to the precinct and found several people waiting for her, and Gates didn't like surprises on her home turf.

Espo, Ryan, and Lanie arrived soon after and stood around, slightly uncertain as to what was going on.

"Captain Gates, I'm Althea Conrad," the woman said, extending her hand to the woman. "I've heard a lot of good things about you and your team."

Gates frowned slightly as she shook the woman's hand. "And you would be…?"

"I'll be glad to answer all of your questions as soon as…" started Althea, and then the elevator opened and Castle and Beckett walked out. "Ah, here they are now."

She motioned towards Gates' office. "Why don't we go in there?" she asked and then waited for everyone to enter the office.

One of the suits closed the door and waited outside.

"So, now, why are we here?" Gates asked, cutting to the chase, steepling her fingers and leaning forward slightly, in full Captain-mode. "Does this have anything to do with what happened to Mr. Castle?"

"Unfortunately, yes," said Althea. She looked at Castle's questioning look. "We've already swept the place, Richard, so yes, it's safe to talk."

Castle nodded and started without preamble. His first words "When I worked for the CIA—" caused a slight flap as Ryan made a small fist pump and whispered a victorious "Yes!" and Espo's mouth dropped open.

"As a field agent?" asked Gates incredulously.

"Oh, no," said Althea. "Richard was too recognizable. We didn't think that would be safe."

"Which didn't work out quite as planned," responded Castle. "I analyzed reports." He looked at Beckett.

"Do you remember the case where my car ended up in the river?" Beckett asked.

"Uh, huh," said Espo, who still slightly fumed over not being included.

"One of the CIA agents on the case was a woman called Sophia Turner," said Castle.

"You based Clara Strike on her," Lanie said.

"Turns out it wasn't such a good idea," replied Castle, a serious expression on his face. "She was a sleeper agent."

"As in KGB?" asked Ryan.

"No," said Althea. "But she was an enemy agent. We have not ascertained who she worked for yet."

"So what's this got to do with Mr. Castle?" asked Gates.

"Sophia gave me some reports to read that I shouldn't have read. There was something in those reports that she or whoever she worked for needed," Castle said simply. "And because things happened, I have no clue what was in those reports."

"Which makes Richard a hard target and this team a soft target," said Althea.

"Oh," said Gates, sitting back, studying Castle for a minute. She turned to Althea. "Do you think this has anything to do with Mr. Tavitian's murder?"

"We're not sure," said Althea. "But as a precaution, we've already vetted everyone in this precinct that Richard may come into contact with. And while we don't want to interfere with your day-to-day operations, we've taken measures to ensure your safety."

She pulled several small devices out of her briefcase and handed one to each person. "These are GPS trackers. If you think you're being followed, simply press the red button and go to some place with a lot of people – not overly crowded, but some place public where there are plenty of witnesses. The Company will be there in a matter of moments."

Espo scoffed as he took the device from her. "You've got to be kidding," he said.

"No, Detective Esposito, I'm not," Althea said, looking at him. "I'm aware you were in the Special Forces, but it's been a while since you were on active duty."

Beckett raised her eyebrows at Espo and he took the device and put it in his pocket. "Yeah, okay."

Gates frowned and leaned forward again. "Mr. Castle—" she started.

Castle raised his hand to stop her. "Before you say anything, sir," he said, "Kate and I talked last night and decided that it's not safe for the team for me to be here with this target on my back, so I'm leaving until this is resolved."

He stood and kissed Beckett on the head. "See you at the memorial," he said, squeezing her shoulder, and then walked out of Gate's office.

Althea nodded at Gates. "If you notice anything suspicious, please call us immediately."

"I will," said Gates, watching Castle walk to the elevator with the agents.

She turned back to her team, pausing for a moment. "Detective Beckett, do you think this case has anything to do with what happened to Mr. Castle?"

Beckett nodded slowly. "I do, sir, but we haven't been able to make a connection yet."

"Then let's solve it so that our team can be complete again," Gates said.

# # # # # # # #


	17. Chapter 17 Always Know a Guy

**A Convergence of Storms**

Summary – Someone from Castle's past is murdered and that gives Kate a look into his unconventional childhood and time spent shadowing the CIA, something that hasn't really been discussed on the show (yet). AU of course, with some grounding in canon.

Author's Notes – Thanks again for all the follows and reviews. You make my day. Wow – it's almost August – where has this year gone? And how fast is the rest going to go as we wait for Sept. 29th?

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. The OCs came out of my imagination.

**Chapter 17 – Always Know a Guy**

# # # # # # # # #

By the time Beckett, Ryan, and Espo arrived at the Old Haunt late that afternoon, Aunt Natie and several of Uncle Armie's friends were already there, toasting to his memory and laughing over shared stories.

Uncle Armie had requested that his body be donated to science, so there was no funeral, just a small gathering of friends paying their final respects. A picture of him graced the bar, with several candles placed around it, the flames gently dancing in the air.

Aunt Natie insisted that Castle stand with her to receive the mourners, and there were quite a few who remembered 'Little Ricky' fondly from the 'good old days'. He greeted them good-naturedly and shook hands with a smile, graciously listening to their stories and nodding at their comments on how he had grown.

After Beckett and the boys joined Martha and Alexis who were sitting at a table, Castle excused himself and walked over to them, giving Beckett a quick kiss.

"Hey," she said softly, "how are you holding up?"

"Better if you tell me you have a suspect," Castle said hopefully.

She shook her head and frowned slightly. "We called the car service, but the owner is out of town until tomorrow and the assistant manager doesn't want to talk with us in case it involves something illegal."

"We're in the process of getting a subpoena for their records," said Ryan.

Castle nodded and then looked at Aunt Natie who waved discretely at him. "Guess we're ready to start," he said, giving Beckett's hand a quick squeeze before walking back to where Natie stood.

He picked up a glass and rapped on it with a knife, the clinking sound getting everyone's attention.

"We're here this evening to remember a good friend, Armen Tavitian," Castle started. "'Uncle Armie' as he was affectionately known to his friends, was born in Armenia in 1939 just before the start of World War II. He was 8 when he, his parents, and Aunt Natie immigrated to America. They arrived in New York during the Christmas season and he was instantly captivated by the bright lights and parades – by the spectacle of it all.

"His mother worked as a seamstress in the theater district where he spent his childhood years. There, he learned to love music – especially the piano – and started playing the songs by ear. He was called a child prodigy and received a scholarship to Julliard.

"But fate was not kind to him – he was in a car wreck when he was 20 and lost part of his finger. Armie persevered and learned to play again, but it wasn't quite the same. He never lost his love of music though, so he became a piano tuner and assistant pianist working with the theaters in New York.

"I had the pleasure of meeting Uncle Armie when he worked with my mother on Broadway and he was even my 'nanny' for a while. And even though that didn't quite work out as expected," there were several peals of laughter at that, "I did learn several things from him." Castle paused for a moment before continuing.

"When life knocks you down, get back up and keep trying – there's always hope that things will turn out better even than you thought." He smiled at Beckett and then continued. "Treat everyone with respect – you never know when you'll need a friend. Learn to play cards well enough that you can deal from the bottom of the deck, but don't because that's just rude…unless you can get away with it. Make sure people don't know when you're picking their pocket. Always drink your liquor neat. And always know a guy because you'll never know when you need help."

Several people around the room nodded at the list. "Yep, that was Armie," someone said. "Hell to play cards with," someone else responded. "And you always had to make sure you had your wallet," someone else laughed.

"I'd like to end with the song that Uncle Armie taught me for my 3rd grade talent show," Castle said, picking up a glass. "So if everyone will…"

As he had been talking, a hostess had sat drink glasses filled with a slightly amber liquid on the tables for the mourners.

He waited until everyone picked up a glass, paused for a moment, and then began singing in Armenian. The people in the room who knew the words started singing along, clinking their glasses in time to the rhythm.

When Castle finished the chorus, he raised his glass, knocked it against the nearest person's glass, and took a swig, the other people in the room mimicking his actions.

As Castle was singing, Beckett smiled as she watched him and then raised her glass and then clinked it against Martha's glass after the chorus. She took a swig and then decided she had 2 choices – she could either swallow whatever this disgusting liquid was – definitely alcoholic – and be poisoned – or be rude and spit it back in the glass.

She looked at Espo and Ryan and realized they were in the same predicament. Martha, however, was downing hers like a pro as Castle kept singing.

"Armie's special brew," Martha said in a stage whisper. "The trick is to swallow it quickly so your taste buds aren't burnt to a crisp."

Tears forming in her eyes, Beckett finally managed to swallow and then nodded at Martha.

"Yeah, real smooth," gasped out Ryan as he finally managed to swallow what was in his mouth.

"Does he refinish pianos with this?" gasped Espo.

Martha shrugged. "Probably. And used it for liniment too."

Castle finally finished the song and raised one final toast to Armie.

Beckett and the others raised their glasses and pretended to sip before putting the glasses back down on the table.

"Ah, Armie's special song," said Martha with a slight smile as Castle walked over. "How could I forget it?"

"Well, it does hold a special place in my heart," quipped Castle as he clasped Ryan on the shoulder.

Beckett thought for a moment and then looked at Castle in astonishment. "You didn't take whatever that was to school, did you?" she asked.

Castle made a face and shrugged. "Armenia culture doesn't have any such thing as underage drinking and Uncle Armie couldn't quite grasp that concept even though he lived here. So I was invited to leave school after that."

Martha nodded sadly. "And it was to be the first of many times," she stated. "But I will give credit where credit is due – Armen talked to the school principal and convinced him to let Richard back in."

Castle looked at her. "Oh, I thought he let me back in because you were dating him."

Martha shook her head. "No, that would have been your 6th grade PE teacher, Mr. Mahoney." She looked at the group. "Richard was never very athletic," and then added with a slight smile, "and did that man have stamina."

"And on that note, I'm going to take Aunt Natie home and see if I can get that image out of my mind," Castle said with a slight shudder.

"Jenny and Sarah Grace have dinner waiting for me, so I'll be going too," said Ryan, standing up. He looked at Espo. "You wanna come?"

"Nah, I've got plans," sniffed Espo.

"Kate, darling, would you like to ride back to the loft with Alexis and me?" Martha asked.

Beckett looked at her watch. "I think I'll go back to the precinct and see if that warrant has come through."

"Thanks," said Castle, leaning in to kiss her. "I'll see you at home then later."

"Yeah," said Beckett, nodding. It felt odd that Castle wouldn't be coming with her to the precinct for a while.

Meanwhile, Ryan was feeling his pockets for his keys. "You haven't seen my keys, have you?" he asked, looking at the table.

"Oh, you mean these?" Castle asked, dangling a set of keys from his finger.

Ryan frowned and quickly took the keys. "You don't deal from the bottom of the deck, do you?" he asked warily.

"Of course not," Castle said innocently. "That would be rude."

Beckett rolled her eyes at him and quickly kissed him. "See you in a little while."

# # # # # # # # #

Being ever the gentleman, Castle walked Aunt Natie to her door while his assigned guard sat waiting in the car.

"Thank you, hokees eemeen," Natie said as she gave him a quick kiss. "Armie would have been pleased."

"I'll call you when we have something," Castle promised and turned to leave.

"Oh, Richard, wait," Natie said a little nervously. "There _is_ another matter I need your help with."

"Okay," Castle said as he followed her in the house.

"Well, you know how Armie was – a little light fingered at times," she said, handing him a large manila envelope that had been on the table in the foyer. "And with macular degeneration, he wasn't seeing so well. He saw this picture at the man's house where he tuned the piano and thought it was you. So he brought it home so I could see it. Could you please see that the owner gets it back?"

Castle nodded. "Of course, Aunt Natie. No problem." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "We'll be in touch."

"Thank you, Richard," Natie said as she closed the door and locked it.

Castle rolled his eyes at the envelope as he walked down the steps.

Armie was a good man, but he had slight problem with kleptomania. When Armie had been watching him, Natie had had Castle returned several items that Armie had acquired, thinking that the owners would be more lenient towards a charming boy than with her brother, which had been true most of the time. Armie had always promised to do better, but never quite did.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Castle opened the envelope and pulled out the picture. He recognized the frame immediately. It was a match to the leather one on Mr. Melekov's table.

He flipped it over and then froze, looking at the photo using the light of the streetlamp.

The man in the picture was a younger version of the son in the picture on the table, but the young woman he would know any place – Sophia Turner.

This may have been why Uncle Armie was killed.

He tucked the photo back in the envelope and shoved it under his arm as he pulled out his phone and sprinted towards the car.

"Kyle, we need to get back to the precinct right away," he said, running up to the driver's side.

Castle stopped suddenly at the sight of Kyle slumped over the steering wheel, blood running down his left temple. "Kyle?" he asked, reaching inside to feel for a pulse.

It was that reaction that was his undoing as a dark shadow body-slammed him against the car, dislodging the phone and envelope. They clattered noisily to the street.

Castle grunted as his arm was roughly twisted up behind his back and a gun was pushed into his ribcage.

"Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way," the man behind him said as he stomped on Castle's phone, crushing it. He then reached inside Castle's pocket and found the gps tracker, dropped it on the group, stomping on it also.

Castle relaxed for a moment, causing the man to lean forward slightly, and then jammed his other elbow into the man's solar plexus. He was not going down without a fight.

But it was a short-lived hope as the man tightened his grip on Castle's arm, almost dislocating his shoulder and slamming his head into the roof of the car, stunning him and causing his nose to bleed.

"So we do this the hard way," the man responded. "They want you alive, but they don't particularly care in what condition."

The man pocketed the gun and pulled Castle's head back by the hair, getting ready to shove him into back seat of the car, when a pair of arms came from behind him and wrapped around his neck in a vice grip.

Castle dropped to the ground in front of the car, out of the way, as the man slowly slumped to the ground unconscious. "Espo?" he said, looking up at the Latino detective.

"So how's that for retired?" Espo said, holding out his hand to Castle to help him up. "I told you I ate classified for breakfast."

Castle nodded and then started to get up when a black van screeched to a halt in front of them. Althea and Anders scrambled out, along with several men.

"Richard, are you okay?" Althea asked as she approached them.

"Yeah, thanks to Detective Esposito," said Castle, looking up from where he was sitting, "but Kyle's dead."

Althea nodded as she walked to the front of the car. She also felt for a pulse and then nodded at two of the men. They quickly moved the body to the van.

"Uh, how did you know to come here?" Castle asked, holding a handkerchief to his nose. "He crushed my gps device…and my phone."

"They send out a signal if they are disabled or destroyed," said Althea. She looked at another man who stepped forward. "Richard, this is Dalton. He'll be covering you now."

Espo stepped in between them. "I've got this," he said territorially.

Althea stared at him for a moment and then nodded. "Okay."

Meanwhile, the men were hauling the unconscious assailant into the van.

"We'll take it from here," said Anders as he picked up the envelope containing the picture.

Espo sputtered slightly but stopped after a look from Castle.

"Here," said Althea, pulling out another gps and handing it to Castle as he stood up and put his handkerchief in his pocket. "Try not to destroy it this time."

"He also crushed my phone," commented Castle. "Do I get reimbursed for that?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure," said Althea. "Come by the office and fill out an expense report."

"But I don't know where the office is," said Castle as she and Anders walked back to the van.

"Bro, are they just going to take everything?" Espo whispered.

Castle nodded and waved at the van as it drove off. "That's what they do." He turned to Espo. "But we have this," he said opening his handkerchief which held the crushed gps. "The guy wasn't wearing gloves so we may be able to get a print off of it."

"Then we'd better get back to the precinct," said Espo.

# # # # # # # # #


	18. Chapter 18 He Lied To Us

**A Convergence of Storms**

Summary – Someone from Castle's past is murdered and that gives Kate a look into his unconventional childhood and time spent shadowing the CIA, something that hasn't really been discussed on the show (yet). AU of course, with some grounding in canon.

Author's Notes – Thanks again for all the follows and reviews. You make my day. Wow – this is at 37,806 words already. It's amazing how quickly plot bunnies multiply. I wanted to get this posted because I'll be traveling next week – great start to a vacation – watching Sharknado 2 and laughing hysterically and then going to see Guardians of the Galaxy this morning – woohoo!

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. The OCs came out of my imagination.

**Chapter 18 – He Lied to Us**

# # # # # # # # #

Castle and Espo stood frowning at the taillights of the receding van when the squeal of tires and a car making a U-turn in the opposite direction caught their attention. The car was too far away though to make out a model other than a sedan.

"Damn," Castle swore softly.

"Let's get back to the precinct," said Espo. "I'm parked over there."

"Do you think that's wise?" Castle asked worriedly.

"Bro, you've been made and they are probably watching the loft – where else are you going?" asked Espo as they started walking to his car. "Besides it's the most secure location I know of unless you know of someplace else…?"

"Point taken," said Castle.

# # # # # # # # #

Beckett frowned as she tried Castle's number one more time and the call went directly to voice mail. This was all too reminiscent of when she was anxiously waiting for him to arrive at the wedding and then the dreadful time afterwards before he was found.

In an almost panic, she grabbed her keys and started towards the elevator when the door opened and Castle and Espo walked out.

"Oh my god, Castle!" Beckett exclaimed, taking in his ragged appearance. "What happened?"

"They were waiting for me at Aunt Natie's," Castle said as they walked back to her desk and he sat down heavily in his chair. "They killed Kyle. If Espo hadn't been there…"

"Yeah, then the vultures swept in and removed all traces of evidence," Espo said, still fuming.

"Thank you, Javi," Beckett said as she brushed the hair back off of Castle's forehead to examine the cut there.

"It's nothing that a couple of aspirin won't fix," Castle grinned. He carefully handed Espo his handkerchief that contained the crushed GPS device. "Here. We might be able to get a fingerprint off of that."

"I'm not letting it out of my sight," Espo sniffed indignantly as he took the handkerchief.

Castle looked back at Beckett as Espo walked out of the room. "I know why Uncle Armie was murdered," he said urgently in a low voice. "He thought he saw a picture of me at Mr. Melekov's and took it. Only it wasn't me – it was Melekov's nephew." He glanced around and then leaned in and said so softly that only Beckett could hear. "And there was a woman in the picture – Sophia Turner."

"What?" whispered Beckett. "How?"

Castle shook his head. "It must have been taken right before I started shadowing the agency. Her hair was shorter then and had some highlights in it. Maybe that's who she was working for.

"The frame matched the frame of the picture of Melekov's cousin and his son." He frowned in frustration and started to run his hand through his hair but thought better of it.

"But Althea and Anders took everything. The only thing we have is that gps. The man took it out of my pocket and smashed it. And he also smashed my new phone," he said despondently. Castle was sure at this point that cell phones quivered when he walked into the store to buy a new one because he had been through so many of them the past couple of years.

He paused for a moment. "And there was a car that left right after the Company left – we think they were with the guy who attacked me. Espo said this was the safest place to come since whoever they are are probably watching the loft."

Yeah, Espo's right," said Beckett as she picked up her phone. "Hey, Lanie, are you still here? Yeah, Castle needs a little patching up. Can we come down?"

She smiled as she hung up the phone and looked at Castle.

"You know, you could just kiss it and make it better," he said, pouting slightly.

# # # # # # # #

Lanie was waiting for them at the morgue and to her credit didn't flinch at the sight of Castle when he and Beckett walked in the room.

He had a bloody tissue stuffed in his left nostril that was growing more purple by the moment, as well as a deepening bruise and crusted-over cut above his left eyebrow.

"So you run into a gorilla?" Lanie asked. "Or an adoring fan?"

"A critic," quipped Castle. "But Espo took care of him."

"You're damned right," responded Lanie. She looked over at the exam table and then back at Castle. "Ah, you want to try doing this sitting up?"

Castle shrugged. "Laying down is fine," he said as he sat on the table and then lay down. He shivered as he felt the cold metal through his clothes. "Really could use a table warmer though."

"The people here usually don't complain," said Lanie as she put on gloves and adjusted the light to examine his face better.

She carefully removed the tissue from his nostril. "Doesn't look broken, but you'll want to keep an ice pack on it for the swelling – 20 minutes on, 20 off."

She then looked at the cut on his forehead. "I think a butterfly bandage will do, but I won't be able to tell until after I clean it. Kate, there are some towels over there," she said, pointing to a stack on one of the tables.

"Okay," said Beckett and then walked over, picked up a towel, and handed it to Castle.

Lanie filled a beaker with distilled water and picked up a large needleless syringe. "This may be a little cold," she said as Castle positioned the towel so that the water wouldn't get into his eye as Lanie filled the syringe to clean the cut and moved toward him.

Suddenly Castle was back in a dark room, a blinding light shining into his eyes, catching the gleam of a syringe as it floated closer to him in a strange disembodied way.

A hollow voice taunted him as various vivid images flashed through his mind.

"6 girls laid down low…"

Another voice competed for his attention. "Castle!"

"9 braids up in a bow…"

"Castle!"

"4 more graves to hoe…"

"CASTLE!"

"Fills gates full of woe…"

The second voice finally won his attention as reality returned and he found himself huddled on the floor beside the table, the syringe lying on the floor across the room, Beckett and Lanie kneeling in front of him.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Beckett asked.

He sucked in air trying to slow his breathing and calm the shaking of his body. "I…uh…I was back at the house in the Hamptons – they gave me something… and there was someone saying something…and really strange pictures of girls in graves…and gaudy hair bows…and more graves…"

He swallowed thickly and ran a shaking hand through his hair. "That was so creepy – like someone walked over my grave."

Beckett nodded in sympathy – she was well aware of what PTSD was like. "It's okay, babe. Just focus on your breathing," she said, using one of the techniques that Burke had taught her. "Watch me," she said, taking a deep breath as Castle followed suit.

Slowly his breathing calmed and the shaking subsided.

"You ready to get up?" Beckett finally asked.

Castle nodded. "Yeah – sorry," he said, making a face.

"No problem," said Lanie. "But I think we'll do this sitting up."

# # # # # # # # #

After Lanie cleaned the wound and dressed it with a butterfly bandage, Beckett and Castle went back to the bullpen.

Espo was at his desk, running a search. "The lab was able to pull a fingerprint and match it to Carlos Travis Manning. He's has several misdemeanors on file for assault and battery."

"Put out a bolo on him. Have we gotten the warrant back yet for Any Time car service yet?"

"No," Espo started before Castle interrupted him.

"Any Time car service?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Espo.

"I know the owner," Castle responded. "Charlie Behar has 2 companies – Any Time car service which is cheaper and Deluxe car service which caters to wealthy clients. We've used him several times."

He paused for a moment and took a breath. "In fact, Alexis rented the Rolls for the wedding from them."

"So they would have known that you were driving up separately," said Beckett.

"He uses the same drivers for both services, so, yeah, they would have," Castle finished.

He reached for his phone and swore when he felt nothing in his pocket. "Alexis will have his number."

Beckett nodded and pulled out her phone to call Alexis.

"Hi, Alexis," she said as the young woman answered the phone. "Sorry to call you so late. No, everything is fine. Your dad is here at the precinct with me. No, no – he changed his mind. Said he'd be of more help here than sitting around at home moping. Listen, do you have Charlie Behar's number?" There was a pause. "Thanks. And your dad says 'hi'."

Beckett hung up and then passed the phone to Castle after punching in the number that Alexis had given her.

Charlie picked it up after a couple of rings.

"Charlie, this is Rick."

"Rick – it's good to hear from you. How are you doing, man? Tough luck about the Mercedes. Let me know if you're in the market for a new car – I can get you a good deal."

"I'll keep that in mind," Castle said with a slight laugh and then turned serious. "Do you have a couple of minutes?" he said as he put the phone on speaker phone. "I'm at the 12th precinct with Detectives Beckett and Esposito and we needed to ask you about a pick up you did last week."

"Sure," said Charlie.

"A Mr. Melekov had you pick up Armen Tavitian and take him to a warehouse near the airport."

"Oh, yeah, I remember that," snorted Charlie. "He poached one of my best drivers, Carlos Manning. Really pissed me off."

"Do you remember who booked that service?" Beckett said.

"Well, in the past, I've dealt with his secretary, but Melekov called himself for that pickup," Charlie responded.

Castle and Beckett shared a look.

"Thanks, Charlie. You've been a big help. And I'll get back to you about a car," Castle said as he hung up.

"Mr. Melekov lied to us," said Beckett. "Espo, get units out there right now and pick him up."

# # # # # # # # # #

About half an hour later, Espo hung up his phone and turned to Beckett and Castle. "That was Officer Tilmon. Seems that Mr. Melekov has closed up his house because he's left to take care of his cousin's estate in Argentina."

"Argentina?" Castle said questioningly. "That can't be a coincidence."

"Yeah, but we don't have jurisdiction down there," said Beckett. "And unless we have solid proof, extradition could take months."

"Not if you know the right people," said Castle, pulling out the new gps the Company had given him. "I think it's time for a road trip."

# # # # # # # # # #


	19. Chapter 19 Eyes Wide Open

**A Convergence of Storms**

Summary – Someone from Castle's past is murdered and that gives Kate a look into his unconventional childhood and time spent shadowing the CIA, something that hasn't really been discussed on the show (yet). AU of course, with some grounding in canon.

Author's Notes – Back from vacation so trying to get caught up with the everyday and get the imagination working again.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. The OCs came out of my imagination.

**Chapter 19 – Eyes Wide Open**

# # # # # # # # #

The next morning, Gates was unpleasantly surprised once again to find people waiting for her in the bull pen, this time without the courtesy of a text message to warn her.

Castle, Beckett, and Esposito were still dressed in the clothes they had worn the day before, indicating that they had spent the night at the precinct. Several containers of to-go food that Ryan had brought in littered the counter in the break room.

"Captain, if we could have a moment of your time…" Beckett started, motioning to Anders.

"Of course, Detective." From the looks on their faces, whatever they had to discuss was serious.

Beckett gave Castle's hand a quick squeeze before walking into Gates' office and closing the door.

Castle looked at Althea and motioned to the break room. "Can I offer you a cronut or a cup of coffee?"

# # # # # # # # #

"Castle, about the gps," Althea said in an exasperated voice as she sat down the cup that he had handed her, "the red button is only to be pushed in case of an emergency."

"But this is an emergency – our best lead has left the country and gone to where all of this started – Mar del Plata, Argentina – that can't be a coincidence," Castle replied emphatically.

"And only in case of a life-threatening event," Althea continued, knowing she wasn't going to win this battle but trying anyway.

"Uncle Armie's dead, so I consider that life-threatening, and I'm sure he would too, if he were still alive," Castle countered. "And someone who is probably associated with Mr. Melekov tried to abduct me – again – but you know that since you took him and all the evidence."

Althea squeezed the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger and closed her eyes, shaking her head slightly. Most of the time, she had enjoyed working with Castle, but there were times when he tried her patience. Divide and conquer was definitely not working in this case and she hoped that Anders was having better luck in Gate's office.

"You do realize this could be a trap – that they want you back there?" she finally asked.

Castle nodded. "But at least this time, I'll be walking in with my eyes wide open." He paused for a moment before straightening up and saying resolutely, "And it's better than living in a cage for the rest of my life."

Althea nodded. "We thought you'd say that." She pulled a cell phone out of her pocket. "Here – this will give you something to play with on the trip."

# # # # # # # # #

Gates frowned disapprovingly. "Are you sure about this, Detective?"

Beckett nodded. "His secretary said that Mr. Melekov has gone to Mar del Plata, Argentina, to take care of his cousin's estate. That can't be a coincidence," she said, saying the exact same thing at the exact same time that Castle said it to Althea.

Gates frowned again. "The US has an extradition treaty with Argentina—" she started.

"And that will take months, if not years," interjected Beckett. "Right now, all we have is circumstantial evidence – Mr. Tavitian took a picture from Mr. Melekov's house when he was there tuning a piano – he thought it was a picture of Castle. And we believe he was killed for that – because if someone saw that picture, they would know without a doubt that Melekov is involved. The man who attempted to abduct Castle wanted that picture, but that man and the evidence are now in CIA custody and out of our reach."

Gates looked questioningly at Anders with an eyebrow raised. The man simply shrugged.

"The attacks on Castle won't stop until this is settled – whatever this is," Beckett stated emphatically. "And that puts our entire team in danger and prevents us from doing our job effectively."

Gates nodded, thinking. "Let me just remind you, Detective, that where you're going, you don't have jurisdiction."

Beckett shrugged. "Castle and I are just going there to pay our respect to Mr. Melekov for his loss."

Gates nodded again and then looked at the man intruding in her office. "Mr. Anders, is that your assessment of the situation?"

"Unfortunately, yes," he said, nodding. "Mr. Melekov's name did come up during the conversation we had with our guest, so he is a key suspect in this matter and Castle is definitely the target. While we don't normally allow civilians on 'missions', Detective Beckett is a highly trained professional and Castle is…well, Castle."

Gates looked out her window at Esposito and Ryan who were sitting at their desks, trying to look busy and then back at Beckett. "What about the rest of your team?"

Beckett glanced over at the detectives who were discretely sneaking glances themselves at both the break room and Gate's office. "We need someone here to run the investigation on Melekov," she said.

Gates nodded again and looked back at Anders. "I'm sending my best detective with you, Mr. Anders. I trust you'll make sure nothing happens to her…and to Mr. Castle."

Anders nodded. "We'll make it a priority to return Detective Beckett safe and sound, but Castle…?" he just shrugged.

# # # # # # # # #

Espo and Ryan looked up as Beckett and Anders walked out of Gate's office.

Beckett walked over to their desks while Anders went into the break room.

"Road trip?" Espo asked quietly.

Beckett nodded and then quickly added, "But not for you two."

She put a hand up to stall Espo as he ramped up to voice his displeasure.

"I need you here – I want everything you can get on Melekov – and that information needs to be unfiltered," she said, glancing at Anders and Althea who were talking by the break room door. "I think they know more than they are willing to share."

Espo frowned before huffing out a breath and then nodded. "Yeah, we got your back."

He frowned again as Anders and Anders walked over to Beckett.

"There's a private jet scheduled to depart JFK in 2 hours," said Althea. "And we'll provide everything so you don't need to go back to the loft to pack."

"What about our passports?" Beckett asked.

"Already taken care of," replied Anders.

Beckett nodded and then looked around. "Where's Castle?"

"Setting up his new cell phone," said Althea. "Wouldn't want him to get bored on the trip."

"Hey," said Castle, walking up to them with a cell phone in his hand. "All set?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Beckett, nodding. She looked back at Espo and Ryan. "Sorry, guys."

"No problem," said Ryan.

"Yeah," snorted Espo.

"Oh, hey – there's a couple of cronuts left," said Castle over his shoulder, motioning towards the break room as they walked towards the elevator to leave the precinct. "In case you're hungry later…"

# # # # # # # # #

Espo frowned as the results from the search came back empty and then pushed away from his desk and walked into the break room.

He smiled at the lone cronut left in the box and picked it up to take a bite when the envelope peeking out from under the corner of the box caught his attention.

He slowly moved the box off of it and saw that his name was written on it in Castle's handwriting. He glanced around before picking it up, opening it, and reading what was inside.

# # # # # # # # #


	20. Chapt 20 Absolutes and Mere Coincidences

**A Convergence of Storms**

Summary – Someone from Castle's past is murdered and that gives Kate a look into his unconventional childhood and time spent shadowing the CIA, something that hasn't really been discussed on the show (yet). AU of course, with some grounding in canon.

Author's Notes – 50 days and counting until the fall opener (and 136 until Christmas for those of you counting that too – the Halloween stuff is already out in the stores). Mar del Plata is a real town in Argentina, but all of the locations and people in it are part of my imagination.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. The OCs came out of my imagination.

**Chapter 20 – Absolutes and Mere Coincidences**

# # # # # # # # #

It was well after midnight when they arrived at the hotel on the outskirts of Mar del Plata and fairly chilly since winter was just beginning in Argentina.

Considering what had happened the last time they were here, Anders had opted to drive from Buenos Aires even though it added 5 hours to the trip. He and Althea sat in the front, while Castle and Beckett sat in the back.

During the long ride, Castle kept glancing out of the window at the passing scenery, hoping that some spark would ignite his forgotten memories.

Beckett placed a hand on his knee. "You okay?" she asked softly.

He smiled back at her tentatively and shrugged. "I was just hoping that being here, the memories would come flooding back – that I'd be luckier than Jeremy." He looked outside again. "But I guess I'm not."

Beckett smiled and squeezed his knee before leaning over to kiss him. "It'll be okay," she said. "We'll figure this out."

# # # # # # # # #

"I'm assuming that you and Beckett will be sharing a room," said Anders as he stopped the car and then swiveled around to look at Beckett and Castle. "So I got the same rooms as before and a separate room for you," he directed to Althea.

Castle nodded and then opened the door and walked around to the other side of the car to open Beckett's door. He offered her his hand as a woman in a smart suit and a man in more casual clothing came out of the office.

"Ah, Señor Anders, welcome back – I've reserved your usual room," Mia Ortiz said as she walked up to the car. "Rafael, please take their bags to their rooms."

"Always a pleasure," said Anders, shaking her hand.

"And Señor Castle, it's good to have you back also," said Mia, turning to shake his hand.

Castle smiled at her as they shook hands. Nope, no spark of memory there – he was sure he'd remember meeting someone as lovely as Mia.

She turned back to Anders, smiling. "You'll find that we've made some improvements to our small chalet since you were here last year. The pool is heated and we've added a Jacuzzi. If you'll follow me…"

Castle frowned at Anders as they followed Mia. "You were here last year?" he asked curiously.

Anders shrugged. "Business as usual," he replied.

# # # # # # # # #

Beckett opened the door to their room and almost let out a sigh, glad to be on something not moving for a while. Even though the jet had come equipped with most everything they could want, the trip had been long especially after a restless night at the precinct.

She examined the room with an appraising smile. The hotel had once been the summer residence of a wealthy land owner and had been converted in the late 80's into a bed-and-breakfast like hotel. Their room was large with a bed on one side of the room and a small sitting area with two overstuffed chairs next to a glowing fire place on the other.

The bathroom was equally opulent, with a large claw-footed tub by a window, the elegant vanity containing the brands of her usual toiletries.

"Hey," said Castle, removing a robe from the back of the bathroom door. "Feel this – just like the ones in from the hotel in LA."

"Castle," Beckett said, picking up a bottle of lotion and studying the label. "Don't you think this is a little creepy? I mean, they have everything here that I use – that we use."

Castle looked at the lotion and merely shrugged. "No," he said simply. "I told Althea what you liked while we were on the plane and she arranged to have it here. I mean – they are the CIA after all. Oh, hey, I bet they could even get those macarons from Pierre Hermé." His eyes glowed at the thought. "Alexis and I had some while we were in Paris. The way they melt in your mouth – pure bliss."

"Oh," commented Beckett. She walked out of the bathroom and over to the suitcase that was set on the luggage rack. She opened it and found several appropriate outfits for their trip, in addition to a selection of lingerie and sleepwear.

She reached inside and pulled out a short sheer black lace nightie. "Uh, Castle?" she asked, holding it up to her and turning to face him. "Did you order this too?"

Castle looked at her innocently. "That might have come up in the conversation," he stammered and then paused before taking the nightie out of Beckett's hands and stuffing it back in the suitcase. "You know what – it's been a long day. Maybe we can save this for later…"

"Uh, huh," Beckett nodded, quirking her eyebrow.

"And just go to bed?" continued Castle hopefully.

"Uh, huh," said Beckett.

# # # # # # # # #

Castle stirred the next morning when the phone rang and picked it up after a few seconds. "Hmmm, Castle," he said sleepily.

"Leave town now, Mr. Castle," said the accented voice on the phone. "Otherwise it will not end well for you."

The line went dead.

Beckett rolled over to look at Castle who was staring at the phone. "Wake up call from the front desk?" she asked, wiping the sleep out of her eyes.

"Uh – no," he said looking at her. "A wake up death threat," he quipped.

Beckett shot up in bed. "What?!"

Castle looked at the receiver still in his hand and then hung up the phone. "They said to leave town now – that if I stayed, it wouldn't end well."

"Then they know you're here," Beckett said suddenly in detective mode. "Did you recognize the voice?"

Castle shook his head. "No – and the accent wasn't Hispanic, more of a Scandinavian Arnold Schwarzenegger 'I'll be back'," said Castle as he mimicked the famous line.

Beckett bit her lip and nodded. If the circumstances weren't so serious, this would have been funny.

Castle reached for the phone and dialed the front desk. "Buenos dias. Listen, I just got a call on the room phone – did it come through the hotel switchboard? Uh, huh; uh, huh. Gracias."

Castle hung up the phone and looked at Beckett. "It was direct dialed, so yeah, they know I'm here."

Beckett nodded. "Then let's find Melekov and get out of here," she said, getting up to take a quick shower.

"Uh, do you want company?" Castle asked, not sure if he should breech the subject yet after the lingerie incident.

Beckett turned and smiled coyly at him. "Always."

# # # # # # # #

Anders and Althea were waiting for them in the outside dining room.

"We were just going over the agenda," Althea said as they walked up.

"I've got something else to add," said Castle as he pulled out Beckett's chair and waited for her to sit down before he did. "A death threat – and it was direct dial, so 'they' know we're here."

"So much for flying under the radar," commented Anders.

"Yeah," said Castle, nodding and then taking a sip of his coffee.

Althea nodded. "We've put out discreet inquiries as to his whereabouts, so we should hear something soon. In the meantime, it will be safer if we stay at the hotel…" she paused as Castle stared off in the distance and then got up and raced across the street. "Castle!" she yelled at him.

Beckett quickly followed as Castle skidded to a stop in front of a window in a building. "Look," he said, pointing to a large picture draped in black. "Recognize him?" he asked.

"Bogdan," said Beckett. "Melekov's cousin," she started to explain to Anders and Althea and then realized they probably knew more than she and Castle did.

Castle looked at the sign on the door. "Biblioteca – it's a library. But why would it have a picture of Bogdan?"

He tried the door, but it wouldn't open. "Maybe Mia knows…" he said and then quickly walked back to the hotel, the other three trailing after him.

"Excuse me," he asked the young man at the front desk. "Is Mia here?"

"No, Señorita Mia will be in after lunch," he said. "She had a late evening."

Castle pointed in the direction of the library. "Do you know what time the library – the biblioteca – opens?"

"Sí," said the young man. "Tomorrow or maybe the next day," he shrugged. "Depends on the fishing."

"Thanks," said Castle. "Uh, there's a picture of a man in the window—"

"Castle," hissed Althea.

"Sí," said the young man, expectantly as if Castle should know this. "The story teller, like you, Señor Castle. He built the library."

Castle nodded. "He passed away about 3 months ago…"

"Sí," nodded the young man sadly. "He will be missed."

"His cousin, Mr. Melekov, is in town seeing to his estate," Castle said.

"Sí," nodded the young man.

That got Anders and Althea's attention.

"Have you seen him?" Althea asked.

"Sí," nodded the young man. "He was at mass this morning and then I think he was going to visit with Father Benedict for a while."

"Where?" asked Beckett.

"St. Francis' church – I'm sure you heard the church bells," said the young man. He looked at Castle curiously. "Perhaps you have forgotten the way?"

"It's been a while," said Castle. "Can you draw a map?" he asked, pushing a piece of paper at him.

"Sí," nodded the young man. He quickly scribbled lines on the paper. "Go left and then take a right at the stop sign, and then another left at the curve."

"Thanks," said Castle, handing the piece of paper to Anders. "Well?" he said.

# # # # # # # #

They parked the car on the other side of the street from St. Francis', waited until traffic passed, and then walked into the church.

St. Francis' was an old church, built near the turn of the 20th century, fairly small in size. It was beautiful on the inside, the stained glass windows giving it a warm glow in the daylight.

They stopped in the narthex before entering the sanctuary and looking around, finally spotting a priest in a black robe near the altar.

They were half way to the front when the priest looked up at them, smiled broadly, and then started walking towards them.

"Señor Castle," he said, shaking Castle's hand as he reached them. "It is good to see you again, but I'm afraid you've missed Bogdan by several months. It would have pleased him that you came back."

Had he known the man? It sure seemed like it.

Beckett nodded at the priest, picking up the slack for Castle. "His death is a great loss."

Father Francisco nodded sadly. "Yes, it was for our small community. He will be missed."

"Father, this is my fiancé Katherine Beckett, and Althea Conrad and Brad Anders," Castle said.

"Very nice to meet you," said Father Francisco as he shook hands with the other three.

Castle studied him for a moment, adding another puzzle piece to the mystery – apparently the priest didn't know Anders, but he knew Castle.

"Uh, Bogdan's cousin, Melekov, came here this morning for mass and then was going to meet Father Benedict," said Castle. "Any chance he's still here?"

Father Francisco thought for a moment. "I think Melekov left shortly after that and Father Benedict is in prayer. He'll be available later this afternoon though," he said helpfully.

Castle started to say something and then thought better of it. "Do you know where Melekov went?"

"I think to the Grotto," said Father Francisco as if he expected Castle to know what that was.

"I'm a little rusty," said Castle. "Do you think you could tell me again where that is?"

"Perhaps if I have one of the initiates take you?" offered Father Francisco.

"The directions will be fine," said Anders, pulling out a map.

"Of course," said Father Francisco.

# # # # # # # #

Castle and Father Francisco shook hands again before they walked out of the door of the church with a promise to return later to meet with Father Benedict.

Castle's smile faded as soon as the door closed and he shook his head as he stared off into space.

Beckett took his hand, knowing how frustrated he was.

"Kate, these people act like they know me and I'm supposed to know them, but I don't," he said as they stood on the steps.

"Come on, Castle," said Althea, "you're a celebrity and you live your life on page 6 – everyone thinks they know you even if they've never met you. At least that's what Turner wrote in her report about your first trip here."

"And we didn't leave the hotel that last trip," added Anders. "So there is no possible way they could have met you."

Castle shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said as he stepped into the street and then had to jump back immediately as a person on a scooter whizzed by him, almost hitting him.

Beckett grabbed him to steady him. "You okay?" she asked anxiously.

"Yeah, fine," said Castle, staring down the street. "That was too close for comfort." He looked at Althea and Anders. "A warning shot?"

# # # # # # #

They followed the directions that Father Francisco had given them to the Grotto, which turned out to be a small hut several miles from town. There was no sign that anyone else was there.

"Wow – talk about a vow of poverty," Castle quipped as he got out of the car and looked at the thatch-covered roof. "You'd think this Bogdan would be living some place more comfortable, like his cousin."

"Maybe the money wasn't on his side," Beckett offered.

Castle looked around the area and frowned. "Melekov said that he had pianos – you wouldn't keep pianos in this kind of environment. It would ruin them."

"Then he has a place in the city," countered Beckett.

"And a country hovel for the weekends," quipped Castle.

Beckett touched his arm. "There's the grotto," she said pointing to the large rock structure near the back of the hutch.

Anders nodded. "You two take the house; Castle and I'll take the grotto. Call out if you find anything."

# # # # # # #

Althea slowly opened the front door and carefully walked inside.

The hut had only 2 rooms and the floor was made of packed dirt, the windows let in a decent amount of light and breeze, but this would be a lonely place at night.

There was no electricity or running water. An old ragged card table sat in the middle of the first room, a rotting mattress and chest of drawers in the second room.

Beckett and Althea both put on gloves as they started to examine the place and pulled out flashlights.

The drawers of the chest were empty and there was nothing under the mattress.

"Anything?" asked Beckett as she dropped the corner of the mattress back down.

Althea shook her head. "Nothing."

Beckett put her finger to her lips and shushed her. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" asked Althea.

"It sounded like something knocking against something," said Beckett.

Althea shot her a look. "I think Castle's overactive imagination has rubbed off on you."

"No," said Beckett, shaking her head. "When I dropped the corner of the mattress, it sounded like something was knocking against something inside of it. Here, help me…"

They grabbed the edge of the mattress and flipped it over, only to find that the bottom had been shredded.

"Someone was looking for something," said Althea. "They probably broke the frame."

Beckett nodded. "You're right. Here."

They started to flip the mattress back over so that if someone came back, they wouldn't suspect that anyone had been here, when Beckett noticed the odd stitching on one side close to the top edge.

"Here, hold this," she said, motioning for Althea to hold the mattress up.

Beckett took out the pocket knife that Castle had given her at the beginning of the trip with the quip, 'Be prepared.' She opened it and carefully cut along the stitching, revealing a pocket on the side of the mattress. Reaching inside, she pulled out 2 rolls of material.

After Althea dropped the mattress back in its original position, Beckett carefully unrolled them, watching the pictures on them unfold as she did – the tapestries were old, the colors faded, but the pictures were unmistakable – 6 girls in coffins, their hairs in bows – she counted 9; 4 graves marked with crosses.

These were the pictures that Castle had seen and someone had tried to hide them.

She carefully rolled them back up. "We need to find Castle and Anders now."

# # # # # # #

The grotto was fairly large as the stone structures went, tall enough for Castle and Anders to stand in at the front and sloping down in the back to a small alcove with a stone kneeler and fountain.

Anders pulled out his flashlight and shown it at the back of the grotto. "Not much here," he said.

Castle squinted at the walls, studying them. "But there's some writing," he said as he brushed away the moss. "Abandonar toda esperanza quien entre aquí."

"Abandon all hope ye who enter here," replied Anders.

Castle frowned and looked around. "Really strange saying for a place of prayer."

He walked towards the back. "They would come and offer a prayer while kneeling," he said, kneeling down on the kneeler. He looked around at the area and shook his head. "Damn," he said, trying to get back up on his own and then placing his hand on the fountain. He had probably twisted the knee he had broken when he jumped out of the way of the scooter.

As he pushed against the fountain to gain leverage, it moved slightly and he saw the back wall raise up to reveal a tunnel and stairs.

Castle straightened and looked at Anders. "I've seen movies like this and they always end badly."

"Me too," said Anders, shining his light down into the darkness. "But that doesn't mean we're not going down there."

"Just don't read from anything," Castle said.

Anders looked at him and then started down the stairs, shining his flashlight in front of them as they went down.

"Here," said Castle, flicking on the light switch he found at the bottom of the stairs.

The lights flickered on, revealing a fairly large concrete-lined cellar, definitely man-made.

"Hmm, maybe Bogdan spent all of his money on wine," Castle commented, looking at the empty wine racks on one side of the room. "Which would explain the hovel upstairs."

Anders nodded, moving about to inspect the room. "Well, whatever someone was looking for, it's gone now."

Castle hummed in agreement as he walked toward a large tapestry on the wall opposite the stairs and reached forward to touch it. The weave was delicate, the material old, gold threads running through it. "Wow – this thing must cost a fortune," he said and lifted an edge to look at the back.

That's when he saw it – the vault door – and in that instant, he knew three things to be true.

He had a lot more of Jack Bauer in him than either he or anyone else gave himself credit for.

He had been absolutely wrong – this had nothing at all to do with his father. That had probably been a mere coincidence, not that he believed in those.

And he had been absolutely right that surreal night more than a decade ago on his second trip to Mar del Plata and he had been standing naked in the alley next to the window in his bathroom, talking to the Comisario of the town and accepting an invitation to a poker game with the town officials. Part of his mind had screamed 'NO!' at the same time his mouth said 'Yes' and he knew without a doubt that someday, this would come back to bite him on the ass. And the sharks with their multiple rows of jagged teeth were now circling, ready to rip him a new one, and leave him bleeding out.

"Out," Castle hissed at Anders, pushing the man toward the staircase. "We have to get out now."

They scrambled up the stairs and out of the hidden door, only to come to a screeching halt when confronted by several men aiming machine guns at them, Beckett and Althea kneeling to the side, their hands raised behind their heads.

"I really appreciate you finding my father's treasure, Mr. Castle," said the son from the picture as he stood off to the side, holding a gun on Beckett and Althea. "But I think you've known all along where it was. My only question is why didn't you come back for it yourself?"

# # # # # # # # #


	21. Chapter 21 Gonna Need a Bigger Truck

**A Convergence of Storms**

Summary – Someone from Castle's past is murdered and that gives Kate a look into his unconventional childhood and time spent shadowing the CIA, something that hasn't really been discussed on the show (yet). AU of course, with some grounding in canon.

Author's Notes – Yeah, 47 days and counting.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. The OCs came out of my imagination.

**Chapter 21 – Gonna Need a Bigger Truck**

# # # # # # # # #

In short order, Beckett, Anders, and Althea were handcuffed to several pipes at the back of the cellar, duct tape covering their mouths, while Castle was handcuffed to a chair facing the door of the vault.

Castle put on his best poker face as he watched the man studying him intently – with what? Anger? Envy? Jealousy? Definitely with purposeful maliciousness.

"I don't believe we've met," Castle said after a few minutes of silence.

The man shook his head. "No, we haven't, but I'm sure you and my father had an interesting conversation about me."

"Ah," said Castle, nodding his head as if in recognition. "The wayward son Alexi." He paused for a moment.

No wonder he hadn't recognized the man in the picture at Melekov's. The man he had met that night years ago – el Toro as the locals called him – had still been a huge bull of a man even in his late 60's, a stocky head of hair, a gaze that pierced your very soul – not the emaciated shell with the dull eyes he had seen in the picture.

"No, actually not," replied Castle, shaking his head slightly and shrugging nonchalantly. "The only thing Bogdan said was that he'd have you shot on sight should you ever come on his property again. And I thought I had father issues," he quipped.

"That's my father for you," said Alexi, walking over to where Castle sat. "I played by his rules, I did what he wanted, and then when we have a difference of opinion, he casts me out – much like God cast out Adam and Eve out of Eden."

Alexi walked around Castle. "But you, Mr. Castle – or can I call you Richard? I feel like I know you – my father and I had many conversations about you near the end – or should I say, my father thought he was talking with you."

Castle made a disbelieving face. "Really? We don't look that much alike."

Alexi was slightly younger than Castle, but as tall as him and with the same build, had the same hair and rugged looks, but his eyes were brown. "His mind wasn't quite what it had been," Alexis said simply. He paused, studying Castle. "He did keep asking you if you were here to honor your deal though…"

Castle shrugged slightly. "He asked if I would be interested writing the history of his home town in Romania and what happened during WWII."

Alexi crossed his arms and regarded him skeptically. "From the way he talked, it seemed like something more important than that, say, what to do with the treasure once he died."

Castle shook his head. "Nope, sorry – just a book deal. What can I say? Your father was a fan."

"So then why don't I believe you? Ah, maybe it's because you lied about the safety deposit box," said Alexi, moving in front of Castle. "And now you're here, months after his death, and you knew how to find this place."

"Lucky hunch," responded Castle. "And the only thing I recall being…asked…were the names on the safety deposit box, not what was inside of it." Castle frowned slightly. "And speaking of that – having Sophia – having Denisa – feed me those reports was a nice touch. Where'd you find her?"

"A friend introduced us – said she might be helpful since her former employer was no longer in business – or not in business to the extent it had been."

Castle quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, the KGB doesn't really like to share their failures," Alexi responded. "But then again, Denisa was always rather mercenary. I found her loyalties tended to veer towards the person who could pay the most. I doubt she would have stayed with them for long anyway – they couldn't quite meet her salary demands and she had very expensive tastes."

"But you on the other hand could – or at least, you said you could," commented Castle, "when you got your hands on the treasure. I bet she went ballistic when she found out you couldn't deliver – that there was only a mere fraction of it left in the safety deposit box," he said, baiting him.

"Let's just say she wasn't pleased, but I told her we'd track it down. Unfortunately, she wasn't that patient – or fortunately for me, she wasn't that patient. But then again, you proved to be her undoing," smiled Alexi. The smile turned deadly. "So here we are now, Richard, once again – you standing between me and what's mine."

"Sitting actually," quipped Castle. He was suddenly serious. "So what are we doing here? I'm assuming you already have the code since you're not dosing me with truth serum."

Alexi nodded in confirmation. "It actually took longer this time to get the information, but then again, you had something to protect. The first time was just a 'red herring' as they say."

"So why do you need me?" queried Castle.

"My father was an inventor, like his father, and a very good one. Did he tell you he worked in security? Made a fortune doing it too. He was fascinated by biometrics and its application." Alexi ran his hand over the vault door. "This is his design. So, yes, you're right – I need you – more specifically, I need your handprint."

Alexi looked at Castle. "So was there some secret initiation he performed when he gave you the code and scanned your hand? I've always wondered."

"No," said Castle, shaking his head, "but I do remember a several bottles of palinca and some fine Cuban cigars." He paused. "But why not just make a cast of my hand – or cut it off?"

"That unfortunately doesn't work, as Uncle Leonid found out," said Alexi. "The hand has to be attached to a living person." He leaned forward, crowding into Castle's personal space. "So here's what I need from you. I need you to stand in front of the vault, put your hand on the plate, and type in the code."

"Simple as that, huh?" Castle asked.

"Yes," nodded Alexi. He stood and walked to the other side of the room, looking at Beckett, Anders, and Althea. "You'll find I'm a simple man, like you, Richard, who enjoys the finer things in life. I'm not financing the mafia or some group that wants to dominate the world or even a drug cartel."

He looked back at Castle. "All I ask is a tall ship—"

"And a star to steer her by," finished Castle.

"Well, preferably a 5-bedroom yacht and enough money to live comfortably for the rest of my life. All I want is what's rightfully mine," Alexis said, once again standing in front of Castle.

Castle pressed his lips together and nodded. "I see."

"And it is useless to resist," Alexi said, pulling out a gun. "Because I will get my way, one way or another."

Castle nodded again, swallowing. "Okay, but first…" he said, motioning with his fingers for Alexi to come closer.

He waited until Alexi's ear was next to his lips. "You know what's in there," he whispered. "Kind of a mini-Fort Knox." He glanced at the men standing around the room. "Are you sure you can trust them? I'm not sure what you've promised them, but I can guarantee you it won't be enough if they see what's inside. What's to stop them from killing you and taking everything?"

Alexi stood and frowned, considering Castle's word. "Kaldis," he said motioning to one of the men. "Go bring the van around."

Kaldis nodded and barked a command in Russian to his men. They quickly vacated the premises.

Castle waited until the men walked up the ladder and then looked at Alexi. "So what happens after I open the vault?"

Alexi shrugged. "I'm not a monster – I don't hold grudges, unlike my father. You give me what I want, I'll let you go – of course, after my companions have had a chance to take what they want. I imagine we'll need help emptying the vault and the townspeople have a tendency to talk so we can't ask them."

"Okay," Castle nodded and glanced down at the handcuffs that chained him to the chair. "But I will need both hands to do this."

"And just so we're clear, if you try anything, the first shot goes through your fiancée's lovely head," said Alexi as he undid the handcuffs.

"Understood," Castle said as he stood and rubbed his wrists.

He walked up to the vault and then paused.

"Well?" demanded Alexi.

"Sorry," said Castle, frowning slightly. "I'm drawing a blank – it was a long night and a lot of palinca."

Alexi snorted. "6g 9b 4m g8…"

Castle nodded and straightened. "I remember now – 6 girls laid down low, 9 braids up in a bow, 4 more graves to hoe, Fills gates full of woe."

"Well, my father did fancy himself an artist and a poet," said Alexi. He paused, watching Castle. "Don't get soft on me now, Richard," he threatened, pointing the gun at Beckett. "You have 10 seconds – 10…9…"

"Okay, okay," said Castle. He looked at B. "I love you, Kate."

Castle pressed his hand against the pad and typed in the code.

The door of the vault slid open quietly and they could only stare at the gleaming contents.

Castle frowned. "You're gonna need a bigger truck."

# # # # # # # #


	22. Chapter 22 Countdown

**A Convergence of Storms**

Summary – Someone from Castle's past is murdered and that gives Kate a look into his unconventional childhood and time spent shadowing the CIA, something that hasn't really been discussed on the show (yet). AU of course, with some grounding in canon.

Author's Notes – Yes, I'm using the title for one of my favorite episodes which was on last night thanks to TNT.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. The OCs came out of my imagination.

**Chapter 22 – Countdown**

# # # # # # # # #

As soon as the door opened, dim lights inside the vault came on, revealing the contents to the curious onlookers.

It wasn't a large room, about 8 feet wide by 8 feet in depth and 7 feet tall, but just because it wasn't large didn't mean what was inside was any less impressive.

Several large crates marked with fragile sat on one side, framed paintings draped in fabric resting against them. Next to them were several statues of various sizes, some of bronze, some of marble, each partially covered with the same fabric.

A small crate near the opening had fallen at some point and broken open, scattering glittering jewels on the floor.

But the most eye-catching was the wall of gold ingots about 4' high at the back.

"So was I right or was I right?" Castle asked.

"It's more than I ever imagined," breathed Alexi, staring. Yes, he would definitely need a bigger truck.

Castle nodded, maintaining his poker face. When he had heard the combination that Alexi said, he silently congratulated himself on not coughing up the real combination, but hadn't expected the vault door to open when he punched in that combination. No, he expected a different totally outcome and was surprised – shocked in fact and somewhat pleased – when it hadn't happened.

Bogdan had been deadly calm when he had told him – when he had drilled it into Castle's head that night. "This is what you say if someone tries to force you to give them the combination," he said with a sly smile that sent shivers down Castle's spine.

The last line of the 'poem' was missing – 'Fire from down below' – so he must have left that off when questioned about the combination, hoping to catch the antagonists in the trap. Again, Castle silently congratulated himself on that, but from that line, he half expected to be incinerated or blown up after he punched in the combination.

Instead the door had simply opened without any fanfare. Had Bogdan been telling the truth? Or had years of neglect negated his plan of vengeance?

Now he just had to figure out what 'it' was, if it still worked, and if he could use it to get them out of here safely.

"Get me one of those ingots," Alexi demanded, motioning with the gun.

Castle nodded and gingerly stepped into the vault, pausing for a moment.

"Move," Alexi demanded again.

"Okay, okay," said Castle as he scanned the interior and then walked to the back of the vault.

He picked up the ingot and turned around and then saw what he was looking for at the bottom left of the door – a timer that glowed 8:00, then 7:59, 7:58…small enough to miss if you weren't looking for it.

Cat and mouse – just enough time for someone to get into the vault and gawk at the riches before who knows what hell rained down on them. He only hoped that Kate and the others wouldn't be in the line of fire when it happened.

He slowly walked back out of the vault, considering the possibilities, this being one of the few times he wished he didn't have such a vivid imagination.

_7:45… _

By now, if they had understood his note, Esposito, Ryan, and Sargento Primero Costa should have the other men in custody.

Castle was brought back to the present when Alexi barked at him, "Put the ingot on the chair and get down on the ground. Hands behind your head. You move a muscle and I shoot your lovely fiancé."

Castle glanced over at Beckett, sitting silently wide-eyed in the corner, as he put the ingot on the chair and then slowly lay down on the ground as Alexi instructed, making a show of favoring his right knee.

Stall, his mind yelled at him – until the counter reaches 0:00.

The man picked up the gold and weighed it appreciatively in his hand. It was stamped 1 kilo. Yes, that would do indeed.

"Get up," Alexi barked again. "I've changed my mind and I need someone to cart this out."

"Knew you would," Castle said drily as he stood as slowly as he could. "So how are you going to spin this with your associates? If they see this, they're going to want their share."

He mentally calculated the time – _6:00…_

Alexi nodded thoughtfully. "They can have the artwork and the jewels…but the gold…that's mine," he said, laying claim to it.

Castle shrugged. "So where are you going to hide it? They're going to want to look in the vault for themselves."

Alexi frowned and looked around the cellar. The wine rack – the gold could go behind it until he could come back for it.

"Move the wine rack," he demanded.

"By myself?" Castle whined.

"Yes," Alexi responded.

_5:30…_

Castle shrugged and walked over to the empty wine rack. He carefully tested the weight and then made a show of straining to move one side of it out several inches.

"Hurry up, or I'll let you pick out which knee I'm going to put a bullet through," said Alexi.

"Okay, okay – it's heavier than it looks," grunted Castle as he worked at moving the wine rack. "Must be made out of iron wood."

He slowly moved the other side a few inches away from the wall and then walked back over to the original side to move that side and repeated the process until the wine rack was several feet away from the wall.

Alexi huffed impatiently. "Move faster."

_2:30…_

"There," Castle said finally, brushing his hands off on the front of his pants. "You know they're still going to see it."

Alexi frowned and looked into the vault. "Those drapes – get those…you can use them to cover the gold."

_2:00…_

Castle nodded and slowly walked back into the vault. As he gathered up the drapes, he realized that they were old tapestries like the one that had covered the vault door. These must be worth at least $100,000 easily.

He turned and glanced down at the timer.

_1:00…_

Castle walked slowly out of the vault and laid the tapestries on the floor in front of the wine rack.

_0:45…_

"Now what?" he asked.

"Start moving the gold," Alexi said.

"Really – all by myself?" Castle made a face. "You know that's going to take a while," he stated.

"The sooner you start, the sooner you get finished." Alexi frowned. "Were you this difficult as a child?" he asked.

_0:30…_

"Probably," said Castle. He walked toward the vault and then paused. "Are you sure you don't want to watch? To make sure I don't put something in my pocket?"

"Got a better idea," said Alexi, picking up the handcuffs. "Hands out in front," he demanded.

"Okay, okay," said Castle. "But you know that's going to make me even slower," he said as Alexi put the cuffs on him.

_0:10…_

"Now, get busy – I've got 5 bullets in this gun and several more rounds – each time you stall, one of them gets a new hole," he said, motioning the g towards the silent group on the floor.

"Okay, okay," said Castle. He turned slowly back to the vault.

_0:00…_

Castle paused at the door. "Wow – would you look at that? You definitely don't want your friends seeing that…"

"What?" said Alexi, walking up to stand next to Castle, peering into the vault.

"That," said Castle as he shoved the man into the vault using his shoulder and prayed that whatever Bogdan had set up still worked.

He was rewarded by a loud popping sound and then suddenly both men were flung backwards as if shoved by an unseen hand.

All Beckett could do was watch Castle land with a thud on his side, several feet away from where he had been standing, his blue eyes still open, but unfocused, unblinking.

# # # # # # # # #


	23. Chapter 23 One Fish Two Fish

**A Convergence of Storms**

Summary – Someone from Castle's past is murdered and that gives Kate a look into his unconventional childhood and time spent shadowing the CIA, something that hasn't really been discussed on the show (yet). AU of course, with some grounding in canon.

Author's Notes – 42 days and counting – yeah! And I've watched the first preview. This chapter is rated high T for swearing. And sorry for the spoiler about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid if you haven't seen the movie. And yeah, I've almost hit 50,000 words.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. The OCs came out of my imagination.

**Chapter 23 – One Fish Two Fish… **

# # # # # # # # #

Beckett struggled in vain against the handcuffs that chained her wrists behind her back, screaming into the duct tape, desperate to reach Castle, to pump life back into him if necessary.

No, her mind whirled as she stared into his unfocused eyes – he couldn't be gone – this wasn't fair – they had overcome great obstacles – they were supposed to have their happy ending.

No, she screamed over and over again for what seemed to be hours, but it was only a few seconds between the time that Castle crashed to the floor and when his body jerked as he gasped and sucked in a deep breath of air and then coughed hoarsely.

He finally groaned and rolled onto his back, squeezing his eyes shut, swallowing thickly and gasping in another gulp of air. Damn you, Bogdan, he swore. He could at least have warned him – not that the last line of the poem didn't. Fire from down below – yep, that was something he didn't want to experience again.

His hearing finally started working again – or at least the connection between his ears and his brain – and he heard two sounds simultaneously – the muffled noises coming from Beckett and a groan from Alexi.

Castle pushed himself up to a sitting position and then stood on shaky legs, moving unsteadily towards Alexi.

"You asshole," he said, standing over Alexi and pointing into the vault. "_**None**_ of that is rightfully yours – you did _**nothing**_ to deserve it," he spat out.

Castle grabbed Alexi by his shirt collar and dragged him over to the vault door. "But if you want it that badly, then spend the rest of your life with it."

Castle pushed the dazed man into the vault and then pressed his hand on the pad and keyed in a combination. The vault door closed with a quiet click. He closed his eyes and leaned against the door for a few seconds before turning and walking on unsteady legs to Beckett.

He collapsed on his knees in front of her and brought his hands up to her face as she frantically vocalized at him.

"Sorry," he said as he made a face and gently pulled the duct tape from her mouth.

"Key," was the first thing Beckett said after Castle removed the duct tape, her eyes wide. "Alexi has the handcuff key."

Castle shook his head with a slight smirk. "Got a spare in my wallet—" he said, reaching for his back pocket, only to come up empty, and then made a face. "And one of men has my wallet."

"Ya think?" Beckett asked rhetorically.

Althea and Anders started to make noise also and Castle moved over to them to pull the duct tape covering their mouths.

"Castle, you could have warned us," was the first thing that Althea said after Castle pulled the tape off of her mouth.

"Where's the fun in that?" Castle shrugged innocently. He grinned at Beckett, who quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Rick, we're in serious trouble – those men are going to come back any time now," said Althea. "And we've – you've only got one gun," she said, motioning with her head to where Alexi's gun lay on the ground. "And the way your hands are trembling, I don't think you could hit anything right now."

"Yeah," nodded Castle, looking down at his hands. "That could be a problem, unless…" He reached over to pick up his cell phone from where one of the men had tossed it and then swiped it on.

He smiled at the message and looked up, holding it up for them to read.

"Raindrops keep falling on my head," Beckett smiled.

"What the hell?" Anders said in response.

"Remember that last scene from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?" Castle asked.

Anders shrugged. "Where they run out of the house and are gunned down by the Bolivian police? Exactly how is that going to help us?"

"Let's just say that the Argentina police were waiting for them outside," smirked Castle.

"What?!" asked Althea incredulously. "Rick, we're here 'unofficially' – we're supposed to be flying under the radar. We haven't even paid the reciprocity fee."

"Well, both you and I agree that I don't do so well with that," Castle said. "And I paid the fee before we left. I don't know about you, but I don't want to spend any time in an Argentinian prison."

Althea let out an exasperated sigh. "So when did you contact them?"

"I didn't," Castle confessed. "Our backup did."

"Our backup?" asked Anders.

"Yeah – one of the things I've learned over the past 6 years is that you get into serious trouble if you don't have good backup. And no offense, you guys are lousy as backups," said Castle. He shrugged again. "I left a note for Esposito and Ryan and a Palladium card. So, according to the text they sent, they caught the guys and they're just waiting for us to take care of Alexi."

Anders pressed his lips together, fuming that they had been upstaged once again.

"Well, then, can you get them in here to free us?" Althea asked. "This year would be nice."

# # # # # # # # #

Carrying a semi-automatic, Esposito stood smugly by the stairs as Ryan unlocked the handcuffs for the trio. Several Argentina police officers milled about the cellar, including Sargento Primero Costa (now Comisario) who was talking with Castle and Beckett.

Anders finally walked over to them.

"Ah, Señor Anders," said Costa. "It's good to see you again."

"You too, Comisario Costa," he said, shaking the man's hand. He looked at Castle. "I hate to break up the party, but what are we going to do about Alexi? How are we going to get him out without getting fried?"

"Oh, that," shrugged Castle. He looked at Costa. "You ready? I don't imagine he's going to be really happy about being locked in there."

Costa motioned toward two policemen who then moved to the vault door and raised their guns.

Castle stepped up to the pad and typed in a combination as he said, "One fish, two fish…"

"Red fish blue fish – son of a bitch," swore Anders with a smirk. "Perfect…"

The vault door snicked open and Alexi stumbled out, almost blinded by the light after being in the dark for an hour.

The policemen quickly apprehended him and hauled him out of the cellar to the waiting police van where the other men were in custody.

Castle frowned at Anders. "How did you know about the combination?" he asked curiously.

Anders shrugged. "Well, Nancy Drew, sorry for the blow to your ego, but that's the first thing you said after they drugged you in the Hamptons."

"And I thought I didn't give them the right combination." Castle made a disappointed face and then looked at them suspiciously. "But how do you know what happened?"

"We were able to reconstruct the videos that were taken," Althea soothed and then smiled slightly at him. "Rick, it takes years of training to handle a situation like that, which you obviously don't have, so, yes of course, you talked."

"I will say that they thought you were jerking them around when you said that. And they weren't very happy about it," shrugged Anders.

Castle's brow furrowed in thought but Althea interrupted him. "That's enough of that for now." She crossed her arms and tapped her foot at him. "Now what you're going to do is spill your guts about how you knew about the treasure in the first place."

"Okay," said Castle as he smiled at Beckett and took her hand. "But not here…"

# # # # # # # # #

They were finally settled at the bar at the hotel, sitting around a table, enjoying a glass of fine Argentina wine.

Melekov had been found alive in the van that Alexi was using and was currently being treated at the hospital.

Comisario Costa had stationed several policemen at the Grotto to keep a watchful eye on the treasure. He nodded as he took a sip of the wine. "Bogdan was a good man, very frugal but generous – you would never have known that he had millions hidden away. But I think those who did know," at this, he looked pointedly at Castle, "he chose wisely."

Castle nodded as he took a sip of his wine. "Well, some of them remembered better than others," he said self-deprecatingly.

"I still want to know how you knew about the treasure and why you didn't report it to me," demanded Anders.

Castle nodded and swirled the wine in his glass lightly while he thought. "It all started with a spider in the bathroom…,"he finally said, eyes narrowed in remembrance.

# # # # # # # # #


	24. Chapter 24 A Spider in the Bathroom

**A Convergence of Storms**

Summary – Someone from Castle's past is murdered and that gives Kate a look into his unconventional childhood and time spent shadowing the CIA, something that hasn't really been discussed on the show (yet). AU of course, with some grounding in canon.

Author's Notes – Okay, this isn't going to be an M-rated chapter for those of you who think it's going that way, but definitely at lot of innuendo.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. The OCs came out of my imagination.

**Chapter 23 – A Spider in the Bathroom**

# # # # # # # # #

(Flashback)

Castle stood in the steamy shower, eyes closed, as he let the warm water stream down his body, washing away the grime he had felt slowly encrusting him during this very long day he thought would never end.

Their departing flight had been delayed several hours on the tarmac in New York and then had to circle the airport in Buenos Aires several times before making a rough landing. The commuter flight was then packed to the point he had to sit with his carryon on his lap.

Travel typically didn't bother him, but it had been a while since he had flown economy and tried to squeeze into one of those tiny economy seats with no leg room with the proverbial child kicking the back of his seat the entire trip. Anders had quickly put on a headset, leaned his seat back slightly, and went to sleep, a well-honed art of a frequent traveler, so he wasn't any company.

One of the major perks of being a best-selling author was first class accommodations and all of its amenities. But assets didn't have that luxury, especially if they were undercover. So much for the exciting world of spies…this definitely wasn't going in his book.

The first trip to Mar del Plata had been exciting, even though it ended badly between Sophia and him. He thought they had something real, something tangible, but she had given him the cold shoulder ever since they had gotten back and he couldn't figure out what he had done.

Tap, tap, tap…click, click, click…

He frowned as he heard the noises near the sink and had an uneasy feeling he had heard them before. A giant bug? God knows that there were some of those in the places he and his mother had lived as a child, but this noise was different. Some South American giant rat that would gnaw him to pieces?

Tap, tap, tap…click, click, click…

No, it was something else…he frowned as he finally realized what it was – it was the same sound that Meredith would make after she was finally finished getting ready and was waiting for him to finish fixing his hair. She said it always took him longer to get the perfect look than it did her.

She would stand near the sink, tapping the heel of her shoe against the floor and drumming her finely manicured nails on the counter, telegraphing her impatience.

But why would Meredith be here?

Castle snuck a peek around the side of the shower curtain and quickly pulled back, biting the knuckle of one finger. Oh, he was definitely a dead man.

She leaned against the counter, as if waiting for a bus, all 5'10" of her, causally inspecting her nails on one hand while the long fingernails on the other hand drummed rhythmically against the counter.

He quickly looked again, his eyes starting at the 4" black open-toed stilettos, and then running up the impossibly long, lean, tanned legs to the ever-so-short red dress that was probably very indecent and hugged her in all the right places, the jewel neckline dipping down to show a generous amount of cleavage. Her dark hair was swept to one side in a casual pony tail, chandelier earrings cascading down her long, exquisite neck; her ruby red lips pursing occasionally to blow on her fingernails as if drying fingernail polish…and other things his mind added.

He recognized her instantly – the mayor's younger sister Violeta, an up and coming lawyer. They had met at the dinner in the police chief's house two weeks earlier.

And now she was in his bathroom, dangling the only towel that had been in the towel rack in her hand.

"H – hello?" he finally said when he could find his voice.

"Ah, Señor Castle," Violeta responded. "I was so delighted when I had heard that you had returned to our small town."

"Violeta, I didn't know that you'd be stopping by," Castle said, his voice slightly cracking. Any other time, any other place, he would be game, but he was pretty sure that Althea would draw and quarter him, castrate him, and then lock him in the deepest, darkest cell she could find and no one would ever see or hear of Richard Castle again.

"We didn't have a chance to finish our conversation and I found it so fascinating that I just couldn't stay away," she responded.

Oh, definitely a dead man, Castle thought.

"Uh – you've got the only towel," he commented.

"Oh, this," said Violeta. "I'm afraid it fell on the floor and is dirty now – I'm sure you wouldn't want anything dirty…"

"No, no," said Castle, shaking his head. "But maybe you could call room service and get more?"

"Why? I find they just get in the way," she replied, extending her fingers and gently blowing on her nails.

Castle gulped. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Violeta – uh – why don't you call room service and order some wine – maybe champagne?" Castle suggested.

"Don't take too long," Violeta said as she walked out of the bathroom. "Wouldn't want the bubbly to get all flat."

Castle bit his knuckle again, trying to get his blood deprived mind to think.

"Traitor," he hissed at the one part that was definitely actively interested in Violeta.

His fight or flight instinct finally kicked in and he decided it was in his best interest to take flight – escape out the bathroom window next to the shower.

He quietly opened the window and climbed out, careful not to scrape anything essential in his desperate flight for survival.

But when he stepped barefoot into the alley and the cool air hit him, he quickly realized the fallacy of his plan.

Castle thought for a moment – he had 2 choices – he could climb back in and lock the bathroom door and wait to be rescued, or he could see if another window in the alley was open and sneak through that way.

He cautiously surveyed the windows in the alley, choosing one that was dark and then carefully tip-toed toward it, trying not to step on anything that would impale his bare foot.

The first window he tried was locked, much to his dismay, so he moved to the next window and was about to try it when someone cleared their throat behind him.

Castle slowly turned around and started to raise his hands to shield his eyes from the bright light shining into them when he remembered his delicate position.

"Buena noches, Señor Castle," said Costa nonchalantly, if this was an everyday occurrence. "So what brings you out on such a fine night?"

"Uh…" Castle managed to squeak out. Which answer would be the best bad decision? A late night swim?

"I hope you're enjoying our lovely town," prompted Costa.

"Uh," Castle started again and then pointed to the window he had come out of. "There was a large spider in the bathroom – between the tub and the door." Oh, damn, was that the best he could do?

"Hmmm, a large spider," said Costa as he walked to the open window.

"Yeah," said Castle. "And it looked really dangerous, so I thought…" he continued lamely.

"Hmmm," said Costa, leaning inside slightly.

At that moment, Violeta called from the other room. "Señor Castle, you know it's very impolite to keep a lady waiting."

Costa smiled slightly as he turned back to Castle. "Ah, yes, a very dangerous spider. Avoidance was a very wise choice, Señor Castle." He reached for his radio. "Julio, sí, Señor Castle tiene un invitado no deseado. Por favor cuidar de ella. Gracias. Oh, y llevar algo de ropa de repuesto."

Costa clipped his radio back on his belt and looked at Castle. "Señor Castle, perhaps you'd like to join me in a friendly poker game while your room is being exterminated."

Castle shrugged slightly. "Sure. But if it's strip poker, I'm going to be at a slight disadvantage."

# # # # # # # # #


	25. Chapter 25 The Tale of My People

**A Convergence of Storms**

Summary – Someone from Castle's past is murdered and that gives Kate a look into his unconventional childhood and time spent shadowing the CIA, something that hasn't really been discussed on the show (yet). AU of course, with some grounding in canon.

Author's Notes – Thanks for the reviews, favs, and follows. They really mean a lot and keep me on track for not starting other plot bunnies that pop into my head before I finish this story. 38 days and counting…Yeah!

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. The OCs came out of my imagination.

**Chapter 25 – Let Me Tell You The Tale of My People **

# # # # # # # # #

Wearing a spare police uniform, Castle examined his cards as he studied the 4 men sitting around the table, making sure he stifled a smile, not because his hand that was good – it was so great in fact he almost did the unmentionable in his pants when he saw his cards – but because he was having one of the best times of his life.

Even if he couldn't share the experience with anyone, the trip that had started out so lackluster was now showing promise of being one of the most memorable ones and he was drinking in every minute.

When they arrived at the bar, reminiscent of the Old Haunt, the 4 men waiting for them had loaned him money to bet with because his wallet was back in his room which was in the process of being exterminated due to a spider infestation, Costa explained simply.

The other men nodded knowingly, especially Father Benedict, and said that Castle had made the right choice.

"Ah, yes, many a men have fallen into her web," replied the Father, looking at his hand. "Better to not have been bitten in the first place."

After a couple of hands, in which Castle won enough to repay the men for their generosity and have a small pile of his own, Costa had to leave to take a call, and the rest of the men continued playing.

The game was lasting long into the night and reminded Castle of the good times he had had in college during their all-night poker games. The bets had been different then since they didn't have much money – help on a homework assignment (which would have been freely given anyway), the phone number of the cute girl down the hall (not so freely given), food, and chores.

Now, the men around the table tossed around money like it meant nothing and the game was merely a backdrop for something more important, the male bonding ritual. They talked and laughed freely, mostly in English so as to include him, in a relaxed manner that told of years of friendship. The discussion included a variety of subjects – the local happenings, funny stories they had heard recently, and the importance of family.

His writer's imagination had already come up with backstories for the men that he committed to memory, hoping to use them in the future.

At 40 years old, Costa was the closest to his age, with an easy outgoing manner and ready joke. But Castle could also sense the steel in him and was sure he didn't want to be on the wrong side of the law in this town – like he almost had been.

He was surprised to see a priest there, partaking in this pastime. Father Benedict, in his early 70's, with compassionate eyes that could probably tell many tales of woe, assured him that all proceeds went directly to the orphanage. Castle was sure that the other men threw their hands a couple of times so that the Father had a nice pile of winnings to take with him.

Dr. Gantner, head of the BA Cancer Institute, had a distinctly Swiss accent. He was also middle aged, with a lean aggressive look, fingers always moving, a quick mind and a quiet laugh. Castle was still trying to figure out how a man from Switzerland wound up in Argentina.

Gabriel, the bar owner, had joined them after the last customer had left. Definitely Argentinian – young, just starting out.

And that left Bogdan, the man who had lent Castle the money to start the game. He was large, probably in his 60's, a huge bull of a man with a thick head of graying unruly hair and matching beard, ice blue eyes that could pierce your very soul. Castle assumed he was homeless because of his appearance – old worn clothes and shoes and someone not well acquainted with bathing every day – but the other men accepted him without question. And in contrast to his looks, he spoke in an easy eloquent educated manner in a non-descript accent that Castle was having a hard time placing.

Castle had seen him outside the book signing on his first trip and then the next day, and was sure that the man had been watching him on this trip.

And Bogdan did have a nice pile of coins in front of him, almost as much as Castle did.

"The bet is to you, Señor Castle," said Father Benedict.

Castle nodded and spread his cards out slightly, studying them intently and then looked at the pot on the table and at Bogdan, the only other person who had remained in for this hand.

Bogdan sat back nonchalantly in his seat, waiting patiently for Castle to make his move, ice blue eyes peering into Castle's darker blue ones.

Castle looked at his watch and then his hand. "Well, it's been a long day and I think my room is finally ready, so let's make this simple. I'm all in," he said, pushing his stack of coins into the middle.

There were several chortles from around the table.

"And to you," Father Benedict said to Bogdan.

The man studied his cards and then the pot for a moment. "It seems that I don't quite have enough. Perhaps you will take my IOU?"

"You were kind enough to take mine, so it would be my pleasure," said Castle, returning the favor.

"Then you may have whatever you want from the Grotto," Bogdan said. "And I call."

The other men suddenly sat back from the table, a seriousness descending on the previous lightness of the evening.

"Okay," said Castle uncertainly, not sure about the change in the mood.

Bogdan put down his cards – four 9's – and the men around the table relaxed slightly.

Castle studied the cards on the table and then looked at Bogdan and was faced with a moral dilemma – should he throw the hand? Or should he play it out to see what would happen? The comment about the grotto had peaked his curiosity, not that he planned to take anything.

He quickly made his decision and laid down his cards face up. "Royal flush – all spades."

"Ah, God has smiled on you tonight," said Father Benedict, nodding at Castle.

"And I am a man of my word," said Bogdan. "I will take you to the Grotto and you may pick out whatever you like."

Castle shook his head as he pushed the pot towards Father Benedict. "No, no – that's not necessary. This game was payment enough. And I'd like to make a contribution to the orphanage."

Father Benedict smiled at him. "Bless you, my son."

"Then perhaps a lift back to the hotel?" said Bogdan as they both stood up.

"Sure," said Castle, shrugging. Did this man have a car or were they planning on walking back? He was pretty sure he remembered the way.

They bid the other men good night and walked out of the bar towards a 1999 hard-top Hummer H1.

"Have you enjoyed your visits to our little town?" asked Bogdan.

"It's very nice," said Castle. Eh, what would a field agent say – great place for meeting contacts anonymously?

After they had driven a little ways, Castle realized that they were headed in the opposite direction of his hotel.

"Uh, the hotel is back the other way," he said.

"Yes," said Bogdan. "But you won and I thought you might want to take a look."

"Okay," said Castle, trying to keep the concern out of his voice. If he got kidnapped, he was sure Althea wouldn't be too happy. She'd probably just let them keep him out of spite.

They drove for about 30 minutes on dirt roads before arriving at a little shack.

Yep, thought Castle – this definitely wasn't a good idea – he was being kidnapped by a man who dressed like a homeless person, lived in a shack, and drove a very expensive car. Two and two definitely didn't make four in this case.

"May I offer you a drink?" asked Bogdan.

"Well, actually, I have to get back to the hotel," Castle quickly said.

"I was hoping that we might be able to talk before you left this morning," said Bodgan. "I have a business proposition for you."

Castle stared at him. How did he know when they were leaving? "Okay," he nodded.

"Shall we talk inside?" Bogdan said and walked into the shack. "I need to check my email."

Castle paused at the door and then stepped back out slightly to look at the outside and then stepped back inside, certain he had been transported someplace different the moment he crossed the threshold.

The shack was small, two rooms, but the outside belied what was in the inside. The inside was comfortably appointed; the floor was made of wood; two chairs sat before a fireplace, a lamp on a table in between them. Several pieces of artwork were on one wall, a bookshelf on the other filled with a variety of classics, WWII history books, non-fiction, and…his books?

Yep, he had definitely entered the Twilight Zone.

Bogdan walked out of the second room. "Ah, I see you've found my library."

"For someone who looks homeless, you're very well read," Castle commented.

Bogdan nodded slightly and walked to the small wine cooler in the corner and pulled out at bottle of palinca.

"I find that I don't require much anymore – good friends, a good book, and a good glass of wine," he said, setting 2 glasses on the table. He studied Castle. "Your choice of phrasing is interesting. That's what I wanted to discuss with you."

He uncorked the wine, poured it into the glasses, and then picked up a glass and offered it to Castle.

"Those history books about WWII – they don't tell the whole picture – they don't tell what happened to the villages, the people who were overrun by Germany and then the Russians," Bogdan said as he motioned to the books with his glass.

"I've read your books," Bogdan said and then took a sip of wine. "What I would like to offer is a chance to write that story – about one village – my village."

"Why don't you tell me what happened," said Castle as he sat down in one of the chairs.

# # # # # # # # #

Bogdan's father had been an inventor, a very successful and wealthy one, in Romania before the start of the war. But he had also been in favor of neutrality and King Carol II. He had seen the coupe coming and, before it happened, paid his workers and told them to flee, turned all his liquid assets into gold, burnt down his factory, and moved his family to the country to a small unnamed farming village.

His brother and family met him there, hoping to stay out of the war.

Bogdan was born in 1934, the youngest of 7 brothers and 3 sisters. His cousin Leonid Melekov was born the same year, so the two were inseparable.

His father and uncle hid their valuables in a cave several miles from the farm, taking out only what was necessary so that the families wouldn't starve, but not enough to draw attention to themselves.

In 1941, when the Germans invaded Russia, the Romanian soldiers came and conscripted all able-bodied boys between the ages of 14 and 21. They took 4 of his older brothers and 4 of his cousins – he never saw them again. They also took the food they had stored up for the winter.

The families scraped out a living, staying on the farm, growing what they needed, learning to live off of the land.

Then the Germans came back through in 1944, before the advancing Russian army, and burnt all the fields so that the Russians couldn't find any food for their march.

Bogdan, his father, a slightly older brother, his uncle, and Leonid were in the fields trying to salvage something when the Russians came through. By the time they got to the village, everyone there was dead. They thought the Russians were going to be their saviors, but they were just as bad – they looted what was left of the supplies and bombed the houses so that the German and Romanian armies couldn't use them as hiding places.

The only thing left of their no-named village was a smoking ruin.

The four survivors returned to the cave, took out what they needed to start over, blew the entrance, and fled to Switzerland where his father had a third cousin on his mother's side, Albert Gantner.

# # # # # # # # #

"So, in a sense, I am homeless," said Bogdan. "I am a man without a country, without a home."

Castle nodded, clearing his throat and wiping his eye slightly. "No," he said finally. "They don't talk about that much in the history books."

"And now, it's time for you to see the Grotto, now that you know the importance of it and the cost of it," Bogdan said.

They walked out into the chilly night air, Bogdan stopping at the altar to kneel and make the sign of the cross. As he stood, he placed his hand on the fountain and moved it slightly. The back wall of the Grotto rose up to reveal a set of stairs.

He picked up the bottle of palinca that he had brought with him and walked down the stairs.

"Years later, when it was safe, my cousin Leonid and I returned to Romania. We found the farm and the cave. It was easy to reopen it – just took a little dynamite and we moved what was left of our inheritance to a safer location," said Bogdan.

Once at the bottom, Castle looked around the room and his eyes settled on the full wine racks. "Your family made wine?" he asked, sure he had missed some point.

Bogdan smiled as he moved aside the tapestry on the other wall. "No, we make vaults. And you may have whatever you want out of it."

Castle frowned at him and paused. "You know, the odds of getting a royal flush are 0.00015%. And I find it odd that after I leave the table for a minute, I get one…"

"Really?" said Bogdan. "Hmmm, must have been the hand of providence."

"Yeah, I'm not sure God was involved," said Castle, studying Bogdan who looked at him innocently. "And I know when I'm being set up. Listen, you don't owe me anything."

Castle nodded. "Yes, I would be interested in writing about your village, but I write murder mysteries – pulp fiction. Don't you want someone who knows history – someone with more experience?"

Bogdan shook his head. "I've found there are 4 types of people in the world." He counted on his fingers. "Those who are only out for themselves – I have no use for those types of people, no matter who they are," he said vehemently.

Bogdan ticked off another finger. "Those who want to control it – who I have no use for also."

He ticked off a third finger. "Those who want to save the world – they believe in what they are doing – the nobility of it, but most of the times they just have their heads stuck up their asses, much like your friend Anders."

He ticked off the final finger. "And the most important one, the person who looks out for the other person."

Bogdan smiled at Castle. "And I think you're such a person. So to answer your question, that's the type of person I want to write about my village."

"Then I'd be honored," said Castle, nodding as he put out his hand.

Bogdan smiled as he shook Castle's hand and then drew him in for a big hug and thump on the back.

He stepped back. "But I am a man of my word and you may have whatever you want out of the vault."

Bogdan pressed his hand against the pad and keyed in a combination.

Castle frowned curiously as the door slid open and then could only stare at what was inside. "Wow." He was speechless for a minute. "Wow – your father was very successful."

Bogdan merely shrugged. "Yes, he was. And I have been also." He looked around at the various objects in the vault. "Like my mother, my wife was a collector of the more discerning arts."

"Just, wow," Castle said. "I think this rivals The Metropolitan Museum of Art."

"Feel free to walk inside and take a look if you're having a hard time deciding," Bogdan suggested.

Castle quickly made a decision and shook his head. "No, I don't need to."

He looked at Bogdan. "Listen, I've got enough money to take care of Alexis and my mother and do what I want to do, which is to write. So if you think you owe me something for a hand you obviously dealt me, then just pay it forward. There's lots of kids here – they could use a good library – a place to ignite their imagination."

Bogdan nodded. "If you're sure…"

Castle nodded. "Yeah, yeah – I am."

"Okay," Bogdan nodded. "But before I take you back, we need to finish this bottle." He pulled a small envelope from his pocket. "And, by the way, please give this to Anders since we didn't have time to meet."

Castle frowned at the envelope. "You're the contact?"

Bogdan nodded. "Not what you expected?"

Castle shook his head, smiling slightly. "No, not at all."

Bogdan motioned to the table and chairs sitting in the cellar. "I design the vaults. Leonid builds them," he said as they sat down. "I've found your friends to be very interested in my designs, especially the new biotechnical ones."

Castle nodded as he sipped from the glass and was silent for a while. "Can I ask a personal question?" he finally said.

Bogdan nodded. "Feel free to ask anything that you would like to."

"You said your wife was a fine art collector, but I can't imagine your wife living in a house like this, no offense," Castle said, motioning over his head.

Bogdan smiled sadly and nodded. "She was indeed – a wonderful woman – born here in Argentina. I met her in college, we traveled the world, had a son. Then, when she became sick, we came back here. She passed away several years ago." He took a sip of his wine. "I found the house too lonely without her and moved out here."

Castle nodded as the man talked.

They sat for a few more minutes in companionable silence before Bogdan looked at him. "What about you, Richard?" Bogdan asks. "Anyone special in your life?"

Castle frowned slightly. "I thought there was a couple of times, but it never seemed to work out."

"A good looking rich man like you?" said Bogdan. "What about that woman you were here with the last time? You looked almost inseparable."

"Yeah, I thought we had something, but ever since we got back, she's been distant," Castle replied. "I haven't seen her since then, so I'm not sure what I did."

"Hear, hear," said Bogdan, clinking his glass against Castle's. "Here's to women and not being able to understand them."

Castle smiled and clinked his glass back.

"And I predict that you will meet a tall beautiful woman and fall in love," said Bogdan.

"Oh, that's not a problem – I fall in love with random women on a subway all the time," said Castle. "But most of the ones I meet now are interested in how big my bank account is, what my credit limit is, and how long I'll last – and mostly in that order."

"So you've given up on love?" questioned Bogdan.

"No," said Castle, shaking his head. "Never," he said with a slight smile. "Have you?"

Bogdan shrugged slightly in response. "I've already had the best – I doubt I could find someone like my Isabella again." He took a sip of wine and smiled. "But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the company of a good woman occasionally. So here's to kissing a lot of beautiful women."

"Well, if you come to New York, I'll introduce you to my mother – I think she may be between suitors again," said Castle.

They both drained their glasses and then Bogdan put his empty glass down.

"But before I take you back, let me show you how this works," he said and stood to walk over to the vault door. "I think you'll find it's quite fascinating."

# # # # # # # # #


	26. Chapt 26 Putting All the Pieces Together

**A Convergence of Storms**

Summary – Someone from Castle's past is murdered and that gives Kate a look into his unconventional childhood and time spent shadowing the CIA, something that hasn't really been discussed on the show (yet). AU of course, with some grounding in canon.

Author's Notes – Thanks for the reviews, favs, and follows. And here's the final chapter – it's been a lot of fun, even the angsty parts.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. The OCs came out of my imagination.

**Chapter 26 – Putting All the Pieces Together**

# # # # # # # # #

(Present Day)

"So, Bogdan dropped me off at the hotel and we exchanged email addresses and phone numbers," Castle finished.

He sat back in his chair. "And that's the story of how I know about the treasure and have a combination to the vault."

The people sitting around the table nodded, captivated by his story.

"Castle, why the hell didn't you come tell me immediately what had happened?" demanded Anders, finally breaking the spell.

Castle paused for a moment, deciding what to say. "I did come by your room, but you were busy at the time," he said.

Anders shook his head and tapped his finger on the table several times for emphasis. "That's no excuse. You should have interrupted me."

Castle shrugged. "I would have but apparently Mia was giving you a wake-up call and you were discussing deities fairly loudly at that time."

"Oh," said Anders, sitting back in his seat.

Espo and Ryan managed not to smirk themselves as Althea shot Anders the look.

"Men!" exclaimed Althea rhetorically. "Why can't you just keep it in your pants?"

"Oh, I did," Castle said suddenly, raising his hand. "Or I would have if I had been wearing pants."

Althea looked at him askance and then shook her head in almost disbelief. "And your government thanks you for that and for not causing an international incident." She let out a huff.

Beckett smiled at Castle and then frowned slightly. "So when did you realize that what was in the vault was the same thing you read about in the reports that Turner had given you?"

Castle swirled the now cold coffee in his cup and sat it down without taking a sip. "That morning – before we left. I was going over everything that had happened and was about to tell you when you got a phone call—" he said, looking at Anders.

"That would have been Turner," Anders replied, going over the day in his head. "Calling to see if we were on schedule." He sat back in the chair. "They must have been watching, waiting to make their move."

Castle nodded. "And then I was talking to Adelmo on the dock…and you know what happened after that," he said sadly. "I woke in the hospital 2 weeks later and you said there had been a place crash and gave me my walking papers."

Althea frowned slightly. "I'm sorry – that was Turner again. She read us the riot act – said that you should have never been placed in that position. She even demanded to lead the team sent to find you two. We always wondered why we couldn't find any traces after the plane crash."

"Yeah, well, I guess now we know," said Castle. "Better late than never."

Anders looked at his watch. "And speaking of late, let's call it a night and regroup tomorrow morning. I've arranged for the jet to be here tomorrow afternoon."

Espo and Ryan looked at each other. "Oh, Javi and I don't need a ride back," said Ryan. "We have first-class reservations tomorrow evening."

"Man, I totally get why you fly first class," Espo said to Castle, holding up a fist for a fist bump.

"Tell you what," said Beckett as she stood up and held out her hand to Castle. "Castle and I will take those, and you and Ryan can ride back with the Company so that you can come up with a plausible explanation for Gates that doesn't get you busted down to traffic."

Ryan and Espo looked at each other again. "Can she do that?" whispered Ryan.

"I don't know," Espo whispered in a sotto voice. "Is she the boss here too?"

Castle leaned forward as he stood. "Let me let you in on a little secret – she's always the boss."

# # # # # # # # #

Castle sat down wearily on the bed in their room and slumped forward, resting his head in his hands.

Beckett watched him for a minute and then walked over and nudged his knees open so that she could stand between them. "So what's going on in that fertile mind of yours?" she finally asked, bringing his chin up so that their eyes met.

"All this," Castle said as he pulled Beckett down to sit on his lap. He buried his face in her hair for a minute, breathing in the scent, and then rested his forehead against hers.

"We found a lot of puzzle pieces today, but it doesn't feel complete – I've got a million questions – like who saved us, but I don't know who to ask," he finally said. "Or if it's even legal to ask them without being thrown into some Company cell for the rest of my life."

Beckett moved so that she was leaning against him. "Well, I have a question," she said, finally straightening up so they were eye to eye. "One fish, two fish?"

Castle chuckled. "That was Alexis' favorite book when she was little – I read it to her over and over, and then when she learned to read, she read it to me. It is forever burned into my brain." He frowned slightly. "It just seemed appropriate at the time. And Bogdan was pretty sure I'd be able to remember it since it was so simple. We had had a lot of palinca by that time.

Beckett laughed slightly and then leaned in to kiss him. "I'm going to get ready for bed," she said, kissing him again and then getting up. "Care to join me?"

"Of course," said Castle. "And how about I bring that black nightie for you to change into?"

Beckett smiled back over her shoulder at him. "If you can find it," she said mischievously as she walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

Castle sprang off the bed in a flash and quickly opened Beckett's suitcase where he had last seen it. He leafed through it – nope, not there. He thought, frowned slightly, and then smiled – his suitcase? Would she have hidden it there?

He opened his suitcase and then frowned again when he didn't find it. The chest of drawers perhaps? Nope, not there either.

"Castle, what's taking you so long?" Beckett called from the bathroom, her voice pitched seductively low. "I've had you on my mind all…day…long," she said.

Castle thought again – where had her hands been? His jacket perhaps?

He ran his hands over the pockets of his jacket and felt a lump. Aha – found your hiding place, he thought with a grin as he reached inside and pulled out the errant nightie.

"Found it," he called out.

"Then bring it in here," Beckett said. "I'm getting a little cold."

As Castle was hanging his jacket on the back of the chair, he felt a lump in another pocket and quickly pulled out an envelope.

He frowned as he opened it and pulled out a sheet of paper. Flipping it open, he read:

"'_Psalms 106:6 KJV – We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.' Be sure to write about the warts also. FB"_

His frown deepened as he reached into the envelope and pulled out another envelope – the envelope Bogdan had given him all those years ago.

He stared at it for a moment – maybe he and Beckett would use those tickets after all. He may have just found someone who could answer his questions.

Castle carefully tucked the piece of paper and envelope in the bottom of his suitcase and closed it, setting it back on the floor.

"Caasssttllleee…" came the siren call from the bathroom.

"Coming," said Castle. He paused at the door and then quickly walked back to his suitcase and took out the envelope Bogdan had given him originally and placed it on the top of the chest of drawers. It was official CIA property after all and he was sure they would take a dim view on him not delivering it at all, even though it was several years late.

"You know," he said opening the door to the bathroom. "I remember there being a lot more gold. Or maybe the vault just got bigger…"

"Speaking of things getting bigger," said Beckett as she ambushed him with a kiss.

# # # # # # #

(Time Jump – Two Years Later)

Castle woke and smiled as he watched Beckett sleep.

His internal daddy alarm clock was working once again and he quietly climbed out of bed so that he wouldn't disturb her.

He grabbed the monitor from the night stand and pulled on a robe while padding out to the kitchen.

He had just enough time to make a pot of coffee, get the morning paper, and warm a bottle before he heard the snuffling sounds on the monitor.

Castle quickly walked into his office – now a makeshift nursery for the first couple of months so that they didn't have to climb the stairs in the middle of the night – and picked up his awakening son.

"Hey, little man," he said as he quickly changed the diaper and then put his son to his shoulder. "I thought we had decided to let mommy sleep late today because she goes back to work tomorrow."

They walked back into the kitchen where Castle took the bottle out of the warmer, tested it, and gently placed it into the baby's mouth.

He smiled as he watched his son greedily latch on.

"And it's a big day for Daddy too," Castle said, as he expertly maneuvered the baby into one arm so that his other hand was free. He flipped open the paper to the book review section.

"Daddy's new book came out yesterday and Paula said to check the paper this morning."

Castle quickly scanned the pages until he found the article that Paula was referring to. He smiled as he read the title – 'The Tale of My People One of Castle's Bests'.

He looked at the baby and began to read in a sing-song voice, "Richard Castle, master of the macabre and best known for his pulp fiction work, has taken a bold step into the field of historical non-fiction with his new book _The Tale of My People_."

He continued to read as the baby drank the bottle, staring as only babies do into his father's eyes.

When they had been in Argentina, they had stayed to talk to Father Benedict, who turned out to be Bogdan's older brother and Castle's savior. Bogdan had romanticized what his family had done, but Benedict told a different story – one of hardship and misery brought by the fortune. They had also eventually talked to Melekov and gone with him to Romania to find the village. Castle had then spent a year combining the stories into one to create the best seller that had captured the imagination of the readers in a different way than his other books had. According to the New York Times, he had "arrived".

# # # # # # #

Beckett stretched and yawned, and then realized she hadn't heard anything on the monitor for a while and sat up quickly.

She smiled when she saw it missing from the night stand and checked Castle's office before she heard his voice in the kitchen, reading to their son.

She paused at the door for a moment, smiling as she watched the two of them together.

"Morning, Mr. Castle," she said finally, walking up to them.

"Morning, Mrs. Castle," he replied, kissing her. "We decided to have an early morning cup of joe and read the paper."

Beckett kissed her son next and then walked over to the coffee pot to pour herself a cup of coffee. "Anything interesting?" she asked. "I hear there's this new amazing writer that you need to watch out for. He's on everyone's must read list."

"Yeah," said Castle, putting his son up to his shoulder to burp him. "Some hot new best-selling author."

He smiled as the baby let out a loud burp. "That's it," he said, holding the baby up so that they could look eye-to-eye. "A good manly burp," he said as he let one out himself to the baby's delighted surprise.

Beckett laughed at her boys and then walked back over to him and picked up the paper, quickly skimming the article.

"Rick," she said thoughtfully. "Are you ever sorry you didn't get to write this book back then?"

Castle thought for a moment as he put the baby back on his shoulder. "Not even a little bit," he said, smiling. "Because then I would have never written any mysteries. I would have never written Derek Storm and gotten so tired of him that I killed him off – sort of. And I never would have written the book that some whack job copied to kill his sister and never met this smart, intriguing detective."

He leaned forward to kiss her. Beckett kissed him back as the baby squirmed between them.

"I'm so glad," said Beckett. She kissed her son again and gently stroked the top of his head lovingly.

"You know, since you're married to that really hot new writer, you don't have to work," he commented.

Beckett smiled at him. "And we both know that I'm not good at doing nothing."

Castle nodded. Beckett had been put on bed rest for the last two months of her pregnancy and they both quickly discovered she was not definitely not good at doing nothing, no matter what distractions Castle had come up with.

"Now, if you got him for another 10 minutes, I'm going to take a quick shower," Beckett said.

Castle smiled at her. "Why don't you make it 20?"

"Okay," said Beckett, kissing her son and then Castle again before walking back into the bedroom.

Castle waited until she had closed the bathroom door and then picked up his cell phone.

"And that gives us time to get Mommy's surprise ready for tomorrow," Castle said conspiratorially to his son. "Hello, Mother – yeah, it's on for tomorrow. If you could be here about 9 am? Thanks."

# # # # # # #

**The End**


End file.
